Baby
by djinni14
Summary: Kate is a wild phase teenager. She was only looking for some fun. Find herself. She wasn't tying to be rebellious with her parents, she actually loved her parents, especially her mother. However her latest choice took her down the wrong road, and she didn't see any off ramps in the distance. Rick is dealing with his own problems on the other side of the country. Everything changes.
1. Chapter 1

**CH1**

Kate had just finished with her first client and was staggering down the street, barely escaping with her skin mostly intact.

She knew she had bruises, and she also had his blood and skin under her finger tips that she hadn't washed away yet. He had wanted it rough. Not just give it rough but receive it rough, so she had deeply scratched her nails down his back, getting him to scream as he climaxed inside her.

He had rolled over almost immediately and she had put on some of her clothes and gathered up the rest and taken all the money he had on him plus what he had paid her up front.

Now she wanted to forget it had ever happened and she knew just where to go to do that.

Still carrying her clothes and her shoes she was barely making it down the street that was void of most everyone. The few people that did see her avoided her. Which was fine with her, Kate's mind was on what she needed to forget all this. At least for a few hours.

Finally making it to where she wanted to go and knocked. "Keith, … silver." Kate knew the code, she had been careful and had seen people come and go countless times before.

After a minute the door opened to reveal a skinny young man who looked like he had been burned, possibly badly in the past. "I need some Keith." Kate pleaded.

Keith looked her over, she looked like trouble. Not a physical kind of trouble. A talking kind of trouble. She was obviously shaking and wasn't sure he wanted the trouble she might bring. "You should come back later." And started to close the door.

"NO! …. please, …. I can pay." Kate dug into her pockets and pulled out she didn't know how much money and tried shoving it at him.

Keith took the money and left her at the door and returned with what she wanted.

Kate snatched it from his hand. "Now get lost." And Keith slammed the door closed and started packing up to move his business. She was trouble and knew too much.

Kate stumbled down the street to where she could find a taxi. She needed someplace to be and use it.

Kate stopped long enough to put on her shoes and roll up her clothes and tried to run her hands thru her hair. It had gotten long since she didn't ever get around to having it cut. It cost money. Washing it cost money too.

Finally getting a taxi to stop for her, she gave an address. Then paid him and got out falling onto the sidewalk.

It was time to forget today and she had a nice hidey hole under a set of stairs that she had set up for herself. It was in a nicer end of town. A lot less likely to have homeless people messing with her or taking it from her. It held all her worldly possessions.

Kate hurriedly prepared for its use after making sure her door was closed after no one saw her. She scrambled about looking for one of the now many little Bic lighters she had. Then lit one of the many cigarettes she had gotten from Keith and inhaled deeply.

**It didn't use to be this way. (Just 2 years ago):**

"I'm going out mom." Kate called out as she left her room walking for the front door.

"I wish you wouldn't honey, dinner is almost ready." Johanna stepped out of the kitchen.

"Bye mom." Kate was out the door and jogging for the street before Johanna could even get in a "but."

The next thing she heard was the sound of a loud chopper like bike start up. Making the windows of their home vibrate.

Johanna had just made it to the windows in time to see her daughter with a helmet on her head, on the back end of a bike with those monkey bars and wrap her arms around some guy who promptly took off. Making car alarms in the area go off.

Jim came out of the dining room where he was setting the table for dinner for three. "Was that Katie?"

"I don't understand Jim, she won't listen. Does the exact opposite of what we ask. Even when we try reverse psychology she does it anyway. And the guy she's seeing." Johanna hated everything about this picture.

"It's a phase Jo. You know that. Didn't you have a phase when you were her age?" It's not that Jim didn't care, he did. But didn't know when to fight. It might just make her run even farther away from them.

"Not with guys like this!" Johanna waves her hand at the guy who had just left with her daughter. "And there wasn't the same amount of drugs floating around like there is today." Johanna had fears, just didn't know how to reach a daughter that wasn't interested in listening.

"You think she's using?" Jim actually didn't know and never thought his daughter would. But maybe his wife had a point.

"I don't know Jim." Johanna deflated and even slumped her shoulders. "She's never home long enough to even ask her a single question. Lord knows what she's eating, or if she even is. She's so skinny."

"We need to catch her when she's home next time." Maybe we need answers.

Kate and her guy had soon joined up with a group of others and were headed down a two lane county highway. They were traveling high and tight. It was a tactic used to prevent cars or trucks from breaking into their group.

The biker out in front soon pulled off onto a side road and then drove up someone's driveway.

All the others followed and stopped to get off. "They're on vacation. No one is home."

One of them soon found a side door and broke it in and one by one they went inside.

"I don't know about this Winger." Kate wanted the type of experience this life brought her. Kate had no desire to be some primpy little pink princess that was forever daddy's little girl. But this was something else.

"Relax baby. No one knows where here and we'll be long gone before anyone figures out we were here." Winger (not his real name of course) wrapped an arm around Kate and took her inside.

The guys and two other girls were everywhere. "Hey, they've got beer." One had the refrigerator open.

The refrigerator was soon empty of anything of interest. "There's hamburger, steaks and chicken in the freezer." All of that was soon out and on the kitchen table.

"I've got potatoes and corn on the cob in the pantry." Another yells out.

"See if there's a grill out back, and someone check the garage." Another yells out.

Winger handed Kate one of the beers. "Enjoy baby, we're going to have fun."

Kate started drinking her beer. This was what she was looking for she told herself.

Kate and Winger were soon eating a hamburger on the sofa while watching TV, a hockey game to be precise.

Winger than pulled out a cigarette and after lighting it up took a long drag and handed it to Kate. "Smoke baby, it's good for you. Takes away all the pain."

Kate took a token puff and blew it out almost immediately. "NO, take a drag baby and hold it in. Let yourself feel it." Winger held out his hand and drew it into a fist to emphasize the breathe in heavily part.

Kate then took a very lone hard drag and held it till she was ready to turn blue and needed air. "That's better baby. AGAIN!" So Kate did it again.

Her cigarette was soon gone and Kate wasn't seeing straight anymore. "Feel it baby? That happy feeling that nothing can touch you."

Kate didn't feel it. In fact she didn't feel anything at all. She did see that Winger was doing something on the coffee table. It had a rhythmic sound to it. A kind of chopping sound over and over again.

Then he lifted up and handed her something. "Breath baby. This is the best stuff. Only the best for you."

Kate took the tube he handed her and stared at it. Breathe what? It was hollow, or she thought it was, but it was empty and breathing in this thing was going to hurt.

Then Winger shoved her head down to the coffee table. "Breathe it in baby." And he held her head there.

Kate could barely feel his hands on her neck holding her head down. She didn't know why it didn't hurt. It should, shouldn't it? Then Winger slammed her head into the coffee table. "Breathe it in baby."

Kate took the tube and breathed in the line of white powder into her nose. Winger immediately released his hold on her and allowed her to lean back up against the sofa.

Kate caught glimpses of Winger carrying her upstairs.

Then she could make out that Winger was removing his pants.

Then Kate could make out that he was on her, with all of his weight pressing down on her, and she was naked.

Then Kate could make out that he was on top of her again, however when Kate tried to look it wasn't Winger, it was one of the other men of the group.

Then Kate could make out that he was on top of her again, except it wasn't either of them. It was another guy from the group.

Then Kate could make out that he was on top of her again, except it was still another guy from the group.

Kate woke up and had to struggle to open her eyes. It was light out still or not still. She was in a bedroom, and she was naked.

Trying to remember what happened but it was all a blur. That was when she found that she had a headache. Maybe better make that a migraine. God but her head hurt.

Kate started to get up and that was when she noticed something else hurt, a lot!

Kate reached down to between her legs where the pain was located. She was wet! However she didn't feel horny, in fact sex was the last thing on her mind.

When she brought her hand back up to her face to look at her fingers, they were red. She was bleeding?!

Kate tried to think. Her period was like clockwork and it was on the middle of the month. This was the end of the month, wasn't it? She couldn't think. She had taken her pill right after her period like always, hadn't she?

Kate managed to sit up and swung her legs of the side of the bed. There was blood on the bed cover. Not a lot, but enough. Ok, so not her period. But the pain between her legs was pounding with every heart beat.

That was when she noticed Winger laying in bed next to her, naked. He had even more tattoos than she thought he did. Down his arms, across his chest. There was even one on his, … But it was red and all of the others were not. He had a colored tattoo on his, ….

Panic suddenly hit her. It wasn't a tattoo, it was blood. Her blood! He had raped her last night and this was morning.

"Going somewhere baby?" Winger asked her.

Oh god, he was awake. Kate couldn't think of anything to say, just needed to get out of here, even if it was naked.

Just as she started to stand, Winger grabbed her and shoved her down on the bed. His hands hurt along with all her other pains.

Kate tried to struggle, but she was weak and he had all the muscles. "Skin!" Winger yelled out.

Skin came in the room. "Give her the shot." Winger told him.

Skin pulled out a syringe and held down her arm. Kate went back to trying to struggle but it was feeble in her state. "No don't, please!" Kate decided to beg.

"It's great stuff baby. It'll make the pain go away." Winger tells her.

Kate can feel the pain of the needle in her arm and moments later she can barely feel her own body.

"It's good baby, all good. We're together now, you're mine now baby. All mine." Winger tells her. And all Kate can do is humm.

"Name." The officer at the desk asked Johanna and Jim.

"Katherine Houghton Beckett." Johanna answers, while holding Jim's hand.

The office could tell these two had been crying and they looked scared. Problem was they all cried and they all looked nervous and anxious.

"Age?" The officer was going down his list.

"17, she's only seventeen." Johanna answers starting to cry again.

"Date of birth?" The officer asks, not sounding like he cared.

"November 17." Johanna answers. "1980" Johanna adds suddenly like she only just remembered.

"What was she wearing when you last saw her?" The officer asks still another question.

Johanna is forced to think back three days. "Black boots with 2-inch or 3-inch heels. Blue Jeans, skinny tight legs." Johanna remembered that they helped show off Kate's beautifully long legs. "A red Stanford t-shirt and a black jacket that came down to her waist." Johanna is still trying to picture it. "She probably had a sports bra on underneath." Johanna had searched her drawers to try and figure out what might be missing.

"And you last saw her 3 days ago?" The officer asks her.

"Yes. She ran out the front door not stopping for anything. The next thing I heard was the sound of the bike she was on the back of. It was really loud. I thought it was going to break out all our windows." Johanna tried to remember. "Oh and he set off all the car alarms as they drove off."

"Can you describe the bike?" The officer asks.

"It was black with lots of chrome. He held his hands way up here." Johanna holds her hands up above her head out in front of her. "And Katie was sitting on the rear tire."

"Do you know the name of the guy she was with? Or can you describe him?" The officer asks.

"I don't know him. This was the first time we ever saw him. It was the first time he ever came to the house. …. He had blue jeans, black boots. … With some silver I think. He had a black jacket on and this silver, … thing on his head." Johanna put her hands on her head to try and display the amount of coverage it provided.

"Goggles?" The officer asks.

"No, just that silvery thing." Johanna tells him.

"Did your daughter have a helmet?" The officer asks.

"YES, it was black with a black visor covering her face." Johanna suddenly remembers seeing her putting it on before wrapping her arms around him.

"Did you bring a recent photo of your daughter?" The officer asks.

"Yes." Johanna digs thru her purse. Finally finding it she hands it over. "It was taken about 6 months ago. Her hair is still this color and still this short." Johanna adds.

"We need a list of her friends, what school she attends, names of her latest boyfriends." The officer still had lots of questions.

Johanna and Jim did their best to answer all his questions.

"I think I have everything." The officer tells them, still sounding cold.

"Do you think you can find her?" Johanna asks praying for something positive but knowing that higher crimes got most of their time.

"It sounds like your daughter left of her own free will. Have you considered that she has simply run away." The officer asks, since most were.

"NO, NO, she wouldn't. Not Katie. It's just a phase. She's being a rebellious teen, that's all." Johanna tried to convince him, … and herself. She should have stopped her and gotten her to eat dinner. If only!

"Most biker gangs have known members. Since you didn't see the back of his jacket we don't know which one. Most don't like helmets, let alone the suicide helmets like he was wearing. That alone will help identify the gang.

Unless they are from out of state and only cruising through, or they are new." The officer tells them.

He is soon dismissing them, telling them they will do everything they can. Along with the hundreds of others they get. Most are runaways from broken homes and end up on the street, where if they are lucky vice will find them. Or what's left of them.

Johanna and Jim are back home. "Think they will find her?" Johanna asks her husband.

"I don't know Jo, I don't know. … You know as much as I do. Missing persons are not a top priority. Barely above stolen cars. Unless she robs a bank or kills someone or gets arrested and gets put into the system." Jim hated to see the hard truth.

They were both lawyers. Johanna always fought for the little guy. Her job didn't make that much money. Most of her clients didn't have that much, they just needed someone dedicated like Johanna.

Jim worked in a larger company where he encountered Johanna, dated her finally. Then fell in love with each other forcing both of them to make a choice. One of them quits their job and works somewhere else or they never saw each other again.

Johanna made the choice for both of them and had resigned and started up her own business. She had never regretted it. She loved him, they were quite the pair. All they saw was each other.

They and their friends all kept their eyes open in case any of them caught sight of Katie.


	2. Chapter 2

**CH2**

It was now 1 year later:

Kate had spent she didn't know how long in a haze. She could barely put more than two words together.

Her 'boyfriend' had raped her almost nightly. Kate wasn't even disgusted by it anymore. It was just something that happened. She did her best to just compartmentalize that part of her life away. Forget that it was her that was being raped.

Her 'boyfriend' gave her shots every few days that kept her in a haze and she said yes to anything he said. The only thing she did know was that he was the only one who raped her anymore after that first time.

He never took her to a doctor; she didn't even know what she looked like down there anymore.

The pain from it all also got compartmentalized. Someone else suffered from it, not her.

Kate would actually smile at him when he showed up with another of what she needed. He had stopped using needles years ago. Now she smoked what he brought her. It was still the same stuff though.

Her name was baby, she knew that much. That was all he ever called her. There also weren't any mirrors anywhere, and he never brought one when she asked.

Then one day everything changed. Her 'boyfriend' didn't show up. He didn't rape her, but he also didn't bring her anything. After a few days she needed something bad.

However she was also more mobile now without him holding her down and without him giving her what she wanted. What she needed.

Kate/Baby got up shakily onto her feet. Usually the only time she ever walked was to make it to the bathroom. She even had a shower once in a while. Got to brush her teeth and even floss. Her 'boyfriend' didn't want to kiss a stinky mouth.

Kate/Baby staggered around looking for what she needed and needed badly by now.

She was in a house or something. All she was finding was bedrooms that she searched. She found some fresh clothes that kinda fit her so she kept them.

The next room was all guys clothes and they looked familiar, but it wasn't what she cared about.

Finally she hit jackpot. Lots of cigarettes already rolled. Enough to last her for months maybe. AND THERE WAS MONEY! Problem was her mind refused to function. It was money she knew that much, but the amount of money escaped her.

Kate/Baby rolled it all up inside of a t-shirt she found in the room.

Kate/Baby left that room and went to another one. This one had more clothes that were close to her size and there was a bag of some kind so she stuffed what she had inside it and started stuffing clothes in it too.

She also found some jewelry. It looked nice and kind of had a nice sparkle to it so she stuffed that into the bag too.

Next came a set of stairs. Kate/Baby took them very slowly, not sure what was down here.

There was a living room on one side and a kitchen on the other. She went into the kitchen and started searching. She found some apples, carrots, jelly and lots of beer. So she stuffed the apples and carrots in her bag and pulled out the jelly and put it on the counter.

Then started searching the rest of the kitchen. She skipped the freezer. If it was frozen she couldn't eat it. Next she found jar after jar of peanut butter and a complete loaf of bread.

All of that went on the counter too. Then she went searching for something else. Aluminum foil! That would work.

Kate/Baby took the time to make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches until she ran out of jelly.

Wrapping them all up in the aluminum foil and stuffed them into her bag. Then she grabbed one of the unopened jars of peanut butter and stuffed that into her bag too. It was full now so she knew she was done, and headed for the living room.

Kate/Baby stopped to look around slinging the bag over her shoulder which hurt a little. Then she saw a hand mirror!

Her heart stopped and its very existence pulled her over to it. A shaky hand reached down to pick it up. She didn't even see that it was her hand. Someone else was lifting it up for her to look into.

What Kate/Baby saw was almost shocking! Whoever that person was had hollowed owed eyes that were almost black underneath them. The face was skinny with almost no fat of any kind.

The hair was really long and kind of a soft brown color with some natural curls. Whoever she was she wasn't pretty, at least not the pretty she envisioned someone who looked pretty.

Kate/Baby threw the mirror across the room and heard it break. Breaking a mirror, that was supposed to mean something. She didn't remember. Just before she headed for the front door she saw a partially used cigarette on the coffee table. So she snatched it up and went to the front door.

After opening it she found it was dark outside. Nothing new, her life was spent in the dark of her room.

Kate/Baby went down the steps out front and found herself on a sidewalk with no traffic. There were countless steps just like these to the right, to the left and across the street. It didn't look like they ever ended.

Kate/Baby picked a direction and started walking. There were cars parked front to back on both sides of the street. She didn't see a single person anywhere. Didn't anyone live here? Maybe everyone was dead and she was all alone.

Kate/Baby came to an intersection and decided to turn left and started passing still more steps. Then she found an alley way and turned down it.

She had gotten down a little ways and saw doors with no handles on one side. And there were these big containers, most of which stank. When suddenly one of the doors opened and some guy came out carrying something.

Kate/Baby ducked down behind one of the big containers and watched him dump something in one of them and then he went back inside and closed the door.

She got up and went down to the same big container that he had left open. As soon as she reached it she could smell food, cooked food or food cooking. Suddenly her stomach growled and caused her some pain.

Looking inside the big container she found FOOD! Lettuce, tomatoes, strawberries, corn, pineapple, bananas, peppers, grapes and things she didn't recognize.

There were also some plastic bags filled with other things. Kate/Baby grabbed one of the bags and dumped its contents of the ground and started filling it with everything she could reach that wasn't or has black or brown color on it.

It was starting to get heavy so she put it on the ground and grabbed two more bags and dumped their contents on the ground and put the empty bag inside the empty bag and then put her now heavy bag inside those.

Then she started filling her plastic bag again. However something caught her eye, it was boxes of pasta. So she started grabbing a few of those. She had three so far when a car with flashing lights flashed passed the road she had just come from. This was quickly followed by another.

Kate/Baby knew from her 'boyfriend' that they were bad. They took you away and did awful things to you. So she stopped what she was doing and started walking away.

Crossing the next street she continued down the alleyway carrying her two bags. At the next street she turned left on it and found it didn't have steps. There were a lot of doors and windows with signs.

Clothing, alcohol, TV's, amongst others. At the next alleyway she turned right and kept walking. Now she could hear loud noises wailing behind her. She knew what that was. Every time her 'boyfriend' had heard that noise they had run or ridden faster to get away from it.

So Kate/Baby started walking faster, making an occasional turn now and then to lose them.

What Kate/Baby didn't see was where all those lights went since she was too far away by now.

They had all stopped just outside the building she had just left. She didn't see them break the front door down with uniform officers wearing flak vests file inside one after the other with their weapons drawn.

Those 5 marked cars were soon joined by 2 unmarked cars as they started searching the place, looking for any sign of one Katherine Houghton Beckett.

One of the officers in suits entered his office finding two people in his office right where he had left them.

"Mr. and Mrs. Beckett. We have entered the house were a man known as Winger though his real name is Jonathan James Powell. He's part of a new biker gang that sprang up about a year ago. They have been off our radar for some time since they couldn't be connected to any illegal activity.

They were suspected of it. It wasn't until a few days ago that they, he, was picked up trying to make a large buy of illegal drugs. He tried taking a plea deal by revealing the location of your daughter.

Our men raided the building a few hours ago. I'm sorry to say that we didn't find her in the building. It's difficult to determine if she was there at all. Nothing of what you said she was wearing at the time was found at the location.

There is evidence of woman having lived there however there are woman as part of his gang, so it could be one of them. I've got units searching the surrounding area in case she was there and managed to leave before we got there." He ends his information.

"Did, … did he say what he had done to her? Was she alright?" Johanna was all set to cry. It had been a year and they may have missed her baby by just minutes or maybe hours.

He took a deep breath. "His gang is involved with drugs. Through interrogation of him we know that the woman he claims as being your daughter is heavily addicted to heroin. She had spent the last year in his captivity, pumping her full of drugs. She may not even remember her own name by now." He needed to break the truth to them.

"Oh god! … No, please no." Johanna couldn't keep it contained any longer and started crying. Jim could only hold her as his wife fell apart on him.

"If she is out there and addicted she will need a fix soon. We have spread her picture out to our vice and drug units to keep an eye out for her." He had something to work with at least.

"Vice?" Jim asked.

"To get her fix she needs to buy it. If she doesn't have the money she may turn to turning tricks to get the money. Most street prostitutes in the city are hooked on one drug or another." Their daughter just might be headed down a deeper and darker hell.

Johanna sucked in her breath. The mere thought that her daughter might be out there having sex with strange men to get money so she could get drugs was more than she could handle. She hadn't raised a cheap prostitute. How did they get to this? It was just a teenage phase.

"You should go home. I'll call you if we get any leads on her location. If she follows standard patterns she will surface eventually. We just need to be there when she does." It wasn't over yet, but it didn't look pretty. And even if they did find her they would have to handle her addiction.

"Thank you captain. We know you are trying." Jim tells him and helps his wife up and takes her home.

They had been close, so damn close.

Once they reach home. "Are you going into work tomorrow Jo?" Jim was going to try and talk her out of it if she was. He knew he would fail, but he needed to try.

"No, I'm going to stay home for a few days." Jo wasn't in the mood. She had lost her daughter twice now.

"What about your new case? This Pulgatti guy?" Jim asked her. "You seemed to think there was something there." Jim reminded her, since she had been so for taking his case. He loved that she fought for the guys that needed someone. She was so determined to make the system work for everyone.

"I'm dropping it. My mind isn't on it. Maybe a vacation is what I need. Just some time off." Jo still sounded so sad. Her daughter wasn't a prostitute. Her daughter wasn't strung out on drugs.

"How about a day trip to Coney Island? Find something fun to do? Maybe walk on the beach. We haven't done that for a while." Jim offered instead. Get his wife out of the house. Off of their daughter and possible near miss.

"Sure, sounds like fun. We need to pack the sunscreen. Wouldn't want you getting a sunburn." Jo teased him.

Jim moved in close to her to put her in his arms. "Feel like getting frisky on the beach?" Jim grinned at her.

"And get sand everywhere it's not suppose to go? No thanks." Jo lifted her arms up around his neck and grinned at him.

"Then we'll just have to remember to take some blankets with us." Jim grinned at her while arching his eyebrows a couple of times.

"I'll think about it." Johanna tells him and then reaches up to give him a quick kiss.

"I'll convince you councilor. I'm pretty sure I can plead my case to your satisfaction."Jim grinned back at her.

"I look forward to your opening arguments councilor." Johanna gave Jim another quick kiss. "How about a quick snack before bed since we missed dinner?"

"Maybe a quick bite followed by some dessert." Jim grinned since he knew what dessert was going to be, or wanted it to be.

Johanna smiled at him. "Oh you think you'll have room for dessert do you?" Johanna knew just what he was thinking.

"I have a hollow leg, remember." Jim reminded her of what his wife had complained about more than once.

"We'll just have to see won't we?" Johanna patted his chest and headed for the kitchen to fix that light snack.

Kate/Baby had been walking for hours and could feel the serious need to smoke that cigarette she had found. Problem was she didn't have any place to smoke it and she didn't have any matches or a lighter.

She was tired and her feet were hurting, she needed to find a place to stay. Looking around everything where she was now looked cleaner than were she came from.

There was nothing abandoned here to stay in. Nothing was under construction anywhere. So she kept walking.

Turning another corner she saw something. There was construction, the front of one building had scaffolding all across the front. The face of the building had work being done to it.

Kate/Baby looked it over. Workers would be back so she couldn't stay here, but there was something interesting. There was a big hollow empty space under the front steps. It gave her an idea. Then she spotted something she really needed. It was one of those little Bic lighters.

She picked it and tested it, and it worked on the very first try. Smiling she moved on looking for the same type of building.

One block over she found just what she was looking for. The sun was going to be up in about an hour, not that she knew that though.

Searching the area she found a few loose boards and started trying to pry them off. It was hard work and she just didn't have the strength for it. Going back to the construction site she started looking for something that would help her.

There were loose nails all over the place so she started collecting a bunch of them. While she was doing that she found a hammer half buried under the dirt, so she picked that up to. Then she picked up a short section of pipe. It was about 3 feet long.

Walking back to her site she started seeing cars and an occasional person. She needed to hurry.

Using her pipe she pried some of the boards off and looked inside. It was dark and smelled dusty. One more board and she could squeeze inside.

Kate/Baby pushed her bags inside and then tossed her pipe inside. Then she worked at squeezing herself in through the opening.

Inside she felt some more boards just like the three she had removed. Using her newly found boards she used her new hammer and loose nails to make a backing with a cross member and hammered the boards she had pried off onto it.

Then used her 3 foot section of pipe to hold her wall in place over the opening she had made to get in here. How to keep it in place after she left to hide her new home again, she would figure out later.

For now she tried to use her hands to search the place. Thanks to the stairs out front the ceiling started out relatively high, but not high enough for her to stand. And then less and less space at the far end.

There were some supports to hold the stairs up; however there was enough space to lie down if she put her feet down at the bottom of the stairs.

The sun was coming up and it was starting to leak in thru the cracks of the wood that was on both sides. It allowed her to get a better idea of her space, now that she could see it.

Suddenly there was a door slamming closed and it scared her, but she covered her mouth to not give herself away. She could hear footsteps going down the stairs, but no one came to her little door that leads to her space.

New noises soon followed, people, cars, talking, horns. This area of town was waking up.

Kate/Baby sat with her back to the other side so she could watch her door and searched for her cigarette and used the Bic lighter to get what she really needed.

Taking a big drag and watching the glow on the end, she held the smoke for a long time. Then let it blow out her nose.

By the time the small already used cigarette was down to a nub that was burning her fingers, she was feeling much better. Nice and relaxed. More like herself.

Laying down in the dirt Kate/Baby slowly let sleep take her. She had a new home, she had enough cigarettes to last for months and she had food. Water, shower, toothbrush and a toilet would come tonight when everything was quiet again.

She had money, just no idea how much she had or how long it would last her.


	3. Chapter 3

**CH3**

Rick was ecstatic! It felt like a minor miracle. He had just left the satellite office of Black Pawn located in L.A. and was making his way back to their apartment.

His first two books were mostly flops. They had sold but hadn't done very well and the critics panned them. However his last two books had made it to the top 10 best seller list and were still there. Just barely.

Black Pawn had been excited about his latest idea for his next book. They had talked him into writing an entire series based off of the lead character. Derek Storm. The titles for the books were almost endless.

He had agreed to do a three book deal with an option for two more. They were going to pay him millions if the first book made it to the top ten best seller lists. He even had a check in hand that was an advance on the first book.

There had been a video conference call with someone in New York, named Gina something. He hadn't been paying attention. He was a success at writing! That's what had his attention.

He had followed his mother around while she took any small or large acting job she could find. Going from city to city. At first they had lived in some really small dives. He even had his own cockroach races on the kitchen floor or countertop to keep himself entertained.

His mother had even gotten a small part that was located in some town in the south that he couldn't remember the name to anymore. It didn't have cockroaches, but it did have fire ants. Those things bit and they hurt, and they were everywhere.

It was only now that he was older that he remembered that while he had small meals to eat and had wanted more at the time. His mother was eating even less or not eating at all.

He was going to change all that. Life for her and for his family was going to be different. It was going to be better.

Kyra had dumped him straight out of college. He had proposed because he loved her and he thought she loved him too. She said she did.

But if she loved him why did she need space and time? And did it have to be in Europe?

He didn't have an address and she didn't return his phone calls or text messages. After a while he stopped trying. She had said she wanted space, so he was going to give her space.

But he was lonely and bored and ran across a vibrant red head who was also an actress that was trying to get work while they were in L.A.

Meredith was wild and vibrant and wanted to go out and do things. She was nothing like Kyra.

Rick was bored and needed some fun. Meredith wasn't really what he had wanted long term. What he wanted was Kyra, but this would do for now.

They went to parties, got drunk more times than he could remember.

However Meredith was also moody. One day she would be vibrant and full of life and then the next day dull and totally out of it. Just wanting to lay around and do nothing.

However she was also always going out to do acting calls, trying to land a role or part somewhere doing something. Soon she was moody even during the same day.

Meredith would go into the restroom of a restaurant they were at depressed at her latest rejection and come out all happy and full of energy. Then she would drag him all over town, one night club to the next. Only to end up in bed together in the morning, NAKED!?

It had been a number of weeks since then and Rick had, had just about enough of this life. He wanted stability. A life and go back to writing. His latest book had done alright, but it didn't put him on the map. No one was talking about him.

Rick was lying face down in the middle of the bed with barely a sheet covering him even a little, when Meredith came storming out of the bathroom. "RICKEY!" God even her voice was beginning to irritate him.

"RICKEY GET UP." Her voice changed pitch and it wasn't for the better.

"DAMN IT RICKEY, GET UP." This time she hit him.

"OWE!" It had hurt. So Rick rolled over and adjusted the sheet so it would cover him. Not like she hadn't seen it before. Or stroked it, or licked it, or gagged on it a few times. It's just he was done with her and had plans to tell her they were over.

"DAMN IT RICKEY, I'M PREGNANT!" Meredith screamed at him and held up the little stick she had used to confirm it. Then she threw it at him. It hit him in the chest and bounced off somewhere.

"WELL? … Say something. This is all your fault." Now it wasn't just her voice that was irking him, it was her face and the way she was looking at him.

Rick was only just now catching up to the first part, since she had woken him from a dead sleep. "Pregnant?" That wasn't the word she had used, was it? Please god tell me I heard her wrong.

"Yes Rickey, pregnant. Do you know what this is going to do to my career? … DO YOU?

It'll ruin it, that's what it's going to do. No one is going to hire an actress that is pregnant and going to balloon into the size of a house.

I'm ruined!" Meredith was still yelling at him.

Rick was finally getting his brain to wake up. "I thought you were on the pill? You said you were on the pill." How can she be pregnant if she is on the pill? Not really thinking on all cylinders yet.

"I stopped a month ago. It was interfering with my thinking. I couldn't remember my lines at my auditions so I stopped." He had ESP didn't he? It's not like he didn't know she had stopped. She had thought it, which should have been enough.

NOW Rick was awake. "You stopped? All on your own? It didn't occur to you to tell me?" Rick yelled back.

"I DID! … You just weren't listening." Meredith was lying through her teeth, but in her mind she had told him. Even if it never made it out of her mouth.

"Now I have to go get an abortion thanks to you." Meredith spat at him.

"**WHAT? …** Like hell Mel." To Rick life was sacred, you didn't just up and throw it away on a whim. So it will interfere with her acting career, so what.

"I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT. … See what happens when you don't listen. And it's my body, not yours." Meredith counters.

"It's my baby too. You didn't do this all alone. Unlike your decision to stop taking the pill." Rick countered still mad that she just decided on her own to stop.

"It's inside me, not you. And what makes you think it's your baby anyway? … Huh?" Meredith put her arms on her hips and glared at him.

"Not, … Of course it's mine. For god's sake MEL. Do you even listen to yourself?" Now Rick had reason to panic. Had she cheated on him? Ok, they're not married so technically she wouldn't be cheating. But she wasn't sleeping with some other guy. … was she?

MARRIED. Maybe that was a way out of this abortion talk. "Marry me." Rick quickly asks before he loses his nerve.

"WHAT? … Why would I want to marry you?" Wait, a married actress, not a struggling single actress. She might be able to apply for parts that included married couples. Get more auditions.

But she would still be pregnant and as big as a house!

Think fast Rick! … "I can support you during the pregnancy. Go out and buy every little craving your heart, or stomach desires. You won't have to lift a finger; I'll take care of everything.

It won't cost you a dime." Money was important to her. Lord knows she spent his fast enough already. Now that he had a book deal, he could afford to buy her things. And the baby things.

What does a baby need anyway? He needed to call his mother, she would know. Besides he was giving her the grandchild she had been pestering him for all this time.

Meredith was silent. Married! She could audition for new parts, new commercials. Some of them needed an actress to be pregnant. This way they didn't have to go to the expense of making her look pregnant. She already was pregnant.

She would need new clothes for the auditions. Get Rickey to buy her everything she asked for.

And after the baby she could leave IT with Rickey while she went off to work. Got her career back on track. It was just nine months, right?

Rick could see the wheels in her head spinning. Spinning to what he had no idea, and he was running out of reasons for her to not get an abortion. It was a baby for god's sake. LIFE!

The Universe was talking, why couldn't Meredith hear it?

"I want a ring. A big one." Meredith tells him.

"Yeah, yeah. A ring, a big ring." Rick jumped on it. Anything, just say yes.

"And I'm going to need new clothes, new shoes." Meredith adds.

"Of course." That was a given. She was pregnant. Did she really think she would fit in the ones she has now for the entire pregnancy? Was she that clueless?

Ok, maybe she was. That was part of why he was going to dump her.

HE WAS GOING TO DUMP HER!

Now he's going to fricking marry her. But he got a baby out of the deal. How bad could it be, really?

Mothers instantly loved their babies, right? This would work. … It'll work.

He was this close to having a family. A whole family, something he didn't have when he was growing up.

They were out the next day looking for rings. Meredith wouldn't let him buy one for her. "You'll get me something stupid or gaudy and feel like a fire truck on my finger. I'll bet you don't even know my size."

Problem was Meredith didn't know her size either. However she was an actress, she would ACT like she did when the time came.

They had just left their third jewelry store and Rick was shuffling his feet along behind her as she stride's down the street. Powering her way down the sidewalk would be more like it.

She had a mission. She was going to find the right ring and it was going to cost Rickey a small fortune. Nothing less than $12,000 would do. $20,000 or more would be better.

Not too big and certainly not too small. Something she could pawn and replace with a fake later.

**FINALLY!** They were in their sixth jewelry store. **SIXTH!** … Rick was dead on his feet. How did she manage to do all that walking, and at that speed? … In heels?

"THIS ONE!" Meredith triumphantly holds up the perfect one. Well perfect for her plans, anyway.

**$21,499**! Not including California tax. Rick almost fainted. Now he had reason to get back to writing. Marrying Meredith was going to cost him a fortune. And not just a small fortune. A REAL fortune.

It took Rick a few days to get everything arranged. He had to gather up all the papers, pay for everything. Get Meredith to sign them. Escort her to all of these places.

She had powered her way to getting a ring. Now she was crawling and whining the whole way.

"Why do we have to do this? It's too much work! Too many forms! Too many questions! It's not like I'm buying a house." Meredith moaned.

Rick thought her voice was bad when she told him she was pregnant and got on his nerves. Listening to her moaning was even worse.

"**A HOUSE! **… We need a house. We can't live in some tiny little apartment. We need a nice big house. Someplace in Bel Air. With a great big kitchen. … and a pool." Meredith suddenly has an idea. Rickey said he would buy her anything if she kept the baby.

That wasn't technically what Rick said, but that's what her mind heard.

They hadn't even left the jewelry store yet and she wanted a million dollar house in Bel Air. Correction most of the homes in that area were Multi-million dollar homes.

Rick was ready to shoot himself. He just needed to find someone to sell him a gun.

And why did she need a great big kitchen? Meredith had no idea how to cook. Hell she could burn water trying to get it to boil, and that's after she finally figured out which nob to turn to turn on the heat for the correct burner.

And if it was gas, she would burn the whole house down.

"You know your ring size?" The sales guy asked her.

"Let's find out." Meredith tells him and holds out her hand.

"What? … It's a special ring. It has to fit perfectly. Down to the last fraction of an inch. Not like those cheap dime store rings that are all fakes." Meredith points out.

She had to cover her ass somehow. And what was one more lie in the grand scheme of things. She told them all the time.

Rick had tried to argue for a grand wedding, one any bride would want. Meredith however didn't want that. She wanted it simple, really simple. And inexpensive. She was only too willing to spend his money. But she was going to spend it on her. Not some stupid wedding that had no real meaning.

All there was at the wedding, was her, Rick, the minister and some random pair of couples neither of them knew. Someone needed to view the ceremony it seemed or they couldn't get married.

Nine months of hell started the very next day. Rick had gotten up in the morning and was cooking breakfast and had coffee in the coffee maker.

"Morning Mrs. Castle." Rick was beaming as Meredith walked in. Well more like shuffled her feet in. Rick was willing to overlook the fact she looked terrible this morning, but at least she wasn't yelling at him. And she had agreed to keep the baby.

"What are you, …" Meredith slapped her hand over her mouth and ran for the bathroom, where she emptied the contents of her stomach.

Rick ate breakfast alone for months after that day. Plus her libido dropped to nothing on the same day. Meredith wouldn't even let him kiss her on the cheek, let alone sex. Oral or otherwise.

Rick was forced to endure almost no physical contact of any kind from that day on,

Meredith's stomach grew almost daily it seemed after the first trimester. Rick would drive her to the doctor for her appointments and she would force him to wait out in the waiting room while she went in to see the doctor.

Rick knew from a little reading that she could get an ultrasound on this trip and they could find out the sex of the baby.

"What did they say? Did they give you any pictures?" He wanted to see his baby. He hadn't even once touched where his child was growing, Meredith wouldn't let him.

"Pictures? Why in the world would you want pictures?" Meredith was completely at a loss to understand why he would want pictures of her.

"To find out the sex of the baby. We can plan knowing if it's a boy or a girl." Rick counters. It was important for a lot of reasons. This just happened to be one of them. The first one that came to mind.

"Who cares what sex it is. … Just take me home." Meredith didn't answer a single question all the way home. And Rick had several.

Once inside. "Meredith, we're having a baby. We created life. You get to be a mother."

Meredith however turned on him. "Look at me. I'm as big as a house already. I've got three more months of this shit. I'll barely make it through doorways by then.

I can barely get to auditions or casting calls as it is. And when I do get there, they all look at me like I'm some sort of freak. … I told you, no one wants a pregnant actress.

It'll take weeks to get back into shape. Months maybe years to get my career going again. All because of your stupid baby. … It's all your fault Rickey, all of it." Meredith stormed for the bedroom and slammed the door closed.

Rick was sleeping on the sofa bed again. Just like he had been every night since they found out Meredith was pregnant.


	4. Chapter 4

**CH4**

Meredith was worse now if that was even possible. She was now 2 weeks from her due date and she was letting him have it daily.

It was too hot, it was too cold, why did he have to make so much noise? She HATES pancakes! How many times did she have to tell him?

"But you used to like them." Rick countered. When she ate like a pig she would eat giant stacks of them. Drowning them in maple syrup with half a box of powdered sugar on top, plus half a can of whip cream. Followed immediately by a can of sardines.

"I hate them, I've always hated them. Seriously Rickey do you not listen to me at all?" Meredith shrieked at him with that voice she had. Rick could feel the brillo pad running down his back.

Maybe she'll go back to normal after the baby. He certainly hoped so. Seeing her baby would soften her and she would fall in love with her baby. Rick could barely wait.

"So what do you want for breakfast?" Rick stopped making pancakes. He put what he had in the oven to keep them warm for him to eat, even if there were a lot of them.

"Oatmeal, … with honey, …. and chocolate." Meredith tells him, and when he didn't have any of it she was going to yell at him. His damn child wanted it so he should provide it.

Shockingly Rick had everything she asked for. "And pickles." Watching Rick pull the jar of pickles out of the refrigerator and place them on the counter next to her bowl.

After Meredith was done Rick cleaned up and loaded the dishwasher and turned it on.

"I'm going to go get some coffee." Rick tells her and grabs his laptop and exits the apartment.

Rick had taken to taking his laptop out to a local coffee shop and write his next book.

Not surprisingly Derek Storm was having trouble with a pregnant lady who had a voice that could break china from miles away. He had no trouble understanding why she was divorced. He would have divorced her too, before or after he shot her.

There was one good thing about going out to write, he was way out in front of his deadline. Just a couple of more weeks and he could turn it in with four months to spare.

Rick was in the grove and had lost track of time and noticed it was now 2:00 pm. He had missed lunch.

HE HAD MISSED LUNCH! Meredith was really going to yell at him now.

Rick made sure to save his work, thinking he only needed a few more chapters to finish. Dumped his really cold coffee in the trash and hurried home.

As soon as he got in the door. "I'm sorry Meredith I lost track of time." And headed straight for the kitchen to figure out what to make for a late lunch.

Rick was part way through putting it all together when he noticed Meredith hadn't yelled at him yet.

Curious now he went looking for her, starting with the bedroom that he had only entered to get his clothes and take the bed apart to wash the sheets. His sheets on his bed that he didn't use.

It was also the only room of the apartment that wasn't in boxes. They had signed the papers for her house in Bel Air. It had cost him $2,399,000. Plus closing costs, home inspection. Poof! No more advance on his first book.

They couldn't move in for another 4 months, minimum.

They hadn't even gone shopping for furniture yet since it came un-furnished.

Opening the door, after knocking, Rick found the room empty. Rick searched the bathroom next. Except for coming in here to use it and clean it, he was never in this room either.

It however was empty too. Meredith wasn't in the living room, kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, closet. Not even hiding under the bed. Which would have been impossible, getting him to think he had gone mad for even looking.

Then he looked again. Maybe the monster under the bed had eaten her so he looked again looking for blood. Nothing!

Searching the bedroom, he found her cell phone on the end table, plugged into the charger.

Meredith wasn't here and didn't take her cell phone with her. So where the hell was she?

He called a couple of her friends that he had a number for. They hadn't seen her and hadn't talked with her for a few days now.

Rick ate the lunch he fixed and put the rest in the refrigerator. Maybe Meredith decided she needed some air and went for a quick walk, just to get outside.

Nothing!

Local hospital maybe. Looking up the closest hospital. Not there either. He is running out of ideas of where she is.

Mind numbing TV came next while he sat and waited. Dinner came and went and still no Meredith.

Rick pulled out his bed from the sofa and re-checked the corner the baby had in the living room. Crib, changing table, diapers, lotion, baby powder, clothes, bottles and even formula in case Meredith decided against breast feeding, since they had never talked about that yet.

Not that they talked about the baby at all. Not that Rick didn't try. It's just that Meredith shut him down every time he tried.

It was morning and Rick was in the kitchen eating cereal, dry cereal at that. He hadn't put the bed away or even changed clothes yet. "Where the hell is she?!"

It wasn't until lunch that he finally cleaned up the place, took a shower, shaved and got dressed. And still no Meredith.

He couldn't take it anymore. There was no note, no phone call, no text message and the phone calls to the same friends came up empty again. So he went outside to take a walk, maybe some fresh air would help.

Rick had stopped to get some Chinese to eat dinner and brought it home. He was just throwing away the empty container when the front door opened.

"MEREDITH!" Rick raced for her. "Where have you been? You had me worried sick." And what was she holding in her arms?

"Here, this is yours." Meredith shoved it into his chest like it was a bag of groceries. The bundle instantly started to cry. IT WAS A BABY!

Meredith started walking for the bedroom. "You need to go downstairs and pay the taxi guy." She calls over her shoulder and slams the bedroom door closed.

Rick worked to hold the baby in his arms so that its head was supported and started to coo at it while bouncing a little. "Taxi."

Rick went downstairs and paid the taxi driver with a crying baby in his arms. Then went back upstairs and sat down on the sofa and took a good look at the bundle in his arms.

Opening up the blanket he saw a baby, with little bitty eyes looking up at him, tiny little fingers and an orange head of hair. "ORANGE? SERIOUSLY?"

Meredith had red hair not really orange. "Shhhh, I'm your daddy. Shhhh." Rick bounced her and leaned down to kiss her little forehead. As soon as he did she stopped crying and looked up at him with her blue eyes and Rick was a goner.

He loved her, like he had never loved anyone before. Not even Kyra or his own mother. "Hi!"

And as he stared at her, his heart left him and entered her. She was PERFECT!

"We need a name. I mean you need a name. I already have a name. Can you say daddy? … How about dad? Too soon huh?" Rick got up and went in search of his list of names.

"Girl names, girl names. You are a girl right?" A boy with orange hair was going to get beaten to a pulp when he grew up. "Yup you're a girl. Don't worry I'm going to see that area a lot over the next several months." Rick kissed her again. This time getting a yawn.

"RIGHT, Name. … Alex?" Rick looked down at her. "Angela?" Rick looked down again. "Babra?" Rick looked down again. "Nicole?" Rick looked down again.

"I'm running low on names her pumpkin. I could use a little help here." And she waved her hand at him.

"Pumpkin? Seriously?" She waved her hand at him again. "Ok how about we just use it for a nickname? I need something real. Wait, aren't they supposed to need a name at birth, for the birth certificate?" And just like that Rick's cell phone rings.

It was the hospital. His wife had given birth yesterday and allowed to go home with the baby today. They had been bottle feeding her since his wife refused to breast feed the baby.

She had even refused to bottle feed the baby, so it was left to the nursing staff. They needed a name since his wife refused to supply one.

Rick picked up his list. "Alexis?" This time getting a smile from here.

Rick quickly decided on a choice. "Alexis Harper Castle."

Rick put Alexis down after checking her diaper and let her sleep. Rubbing his hand down his face. "Now what?"

Rick was startled out of his sleep by Alexis crying. "I'm coming, I'm coming. … Hi, I'm daddy." Alexis just cried.

After a quick check. "It's not your diaper. You're not hot, must be hungry than." Rick left her to put a bottle together and get it warm. Listening to her cry the whole time.

Finally settling down on the sofa with baby, bottle and bib. "You were hungry weren't you? Yes you were!" Rick coos at her. After seeing Alexis take almost all of it and burping her, he sets her back down in her crib.

An hour later Alexis is crying again. "Ok, now what? Or do you just need attention? … Nope you need a new diaper. We can fix that."

Wipe, oil, powder, diaper and Alexis was happy again and sleeping in her crib. An hour later and it was time for another bottle. An hour later it was time for a diaper.

Rick was crashed on the sofa trying to get a cat nap. Time for a new diaper. Over and over again all night long.

A dead on his feet Rick got up and checked why Alexis was crying this time? She just had a bottle and this time her diaper was dry and clean. "Lonely are we?" Rick picked her up and held her, stroked her face, played with her tiny hands and kissed her repeatedly.

Rick didn't see Meredith until after lunch the day after she brought Alexis home from the hospital.

"Meredith?" Rick was warming up yet another bottle. After this one he needed to wash the ones he had and create another batch to put in the refrigerator.

"Doesn't it every stop crying?" Meredith moans. "And where's lunch?" Rick had to make her lunch. Why hadn't he?

"Alexis is a baby Meredith, it's all she knows. When she wants something or is uncomfortable she cries." Rick was shocked. Didn't she know anything at all?

He wasn't a library when it came to babies, but even he knew that much.

"Well since you haven't made me lunch I'm going to go out to eat." Meredith went back into the bedroom to get her purse.

Rick was just testing the bottle when Meredith came back out. "Don't you want to feed her?" Rick held up the bottle. But Meredith just kept walking and slammed the front door closed.

"Not this time, got it. I'll handle it." Rick tells the closed door.

It was after dinner and the apartment was quiet and Rick was sitting and typing away on his laptop totally zoned out. He never saw Meredith walk right past him and into the bedroom. He didn't notice a thing until her heard the bedroom door slam closed.

Days passed, then weeks passed and they were up to six months.

Meredith hadn't raised a finger to help him with Alexis. He had to take her with him when he went shopping for more baby things, or even just groceries to feed him and occasionally Meredith when she stayed home long enough to eat.

Rick had finished his book and had it into his publisher a full two months early. They were beyond happy with him.

Then one day he got a phone call from Black Pawn, they wanted a meeting with him in four hours. They wanted to go over some of the re-writes they wanted.

"Meredith I have a meeting to go to, I need you to watch Alexis for me." Rick had told the bedroom door.

3-1/2 hours later he was back at the bedroom door. Knocking before opening it. "I'm leaving for my meeting, I'll be back as soon as I can. Alexis has been fed, clean diaper and is sleeping. You need to look in on her in a couple of hours." All Rick got was a wave from her hand.

Rick was hoping that since this time she didn't have a choice Meredith would finally pay attention to her daughter.

Rick kept looking at his watch. 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours. It was 5 hours later. They hadn't wanted that many changes but they had fought for each word they wanted changed. However they were happy with the book overall. They were sure it would be a success. He would be getting a big paycheck as soon as it got into the top 10 and stayed there for two weeks.

Rick was floating down to ground level and found the first taxi he could find. "YES! YES! YES!" Trying to celebrate in the taxi all the way home.

As soon as he reached the front door he could hear Alexis crying. Opening the door only made the sound louder.

"I'm here pumpkin, I'm here." Rick lifted her up but that did nothing to stop the crying. Placing her gently on the changing table. "Eewww, when was the last time you had your diaper changed?" It and Alexis were a complete mess.

There had to be at least 3 messes contained within her diaper. All cleaned up and with a fresh diaper Alexis was still crying.

Rick placed her back in her crib and headed for the kitchen. There was no pan on the stove with water in it or any pan at all. Opening the refrigerator he counted bottles. ALL of them were still there.

That meant Alexis hadn't been fed for 6 hours!

Rick got to work and warmed up a bottle and had Alexis in his arms and sitting on the sofa as fast as he could. "You're starving aren't you? I'm so sorry pumpkin, so very sorry." Rick was going to kill Meredith.

Alexis was done and burped and back in her crib and was quiet again, staring up at her daddy.

Rick headed for the bedroom and didn't bother to knock this time. He was mad, maybe beyond mad. This was a baby! Their baby and Meredith had done this!

Opening the door he came face to face with total disbelief. His WIFE was in bed with another man and they were both naked. Not just naked but having sex, and she was on top bouncing up and down.

He knew that look even with her back to him. She was just short of having an orgasm as the bed practically bounced up and down off the floor.

"**WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" **Rick literally yells at her. … them!

Meredith turns around a little to see who it is but doesn't stop, just keeps pounding up and down, then turns back around so her back is facing him again.

"MEREDITH!" Rick yells again, only this time steps in and across to the bed and grabs Meredith and yanks her off of him and literally throws her across the room to crash into the dresser.

"RICKEY, what the hell?" Meredith yells at him.

"YOU! OUT!" Rick kicks him. Then bends down and grabs a foot and pulls for all he's worth until he is off the bed and lands on his ass.

"DAMN IT RICKEY!" Meredith starts to try to get up.

Rick kicks the guy on the floor directly into the ribs, then bends down and yanks him to his feet. Turns his body and uses his weight and sudden strength to throw the naked man out the bedroom door.

He lands crashing into the end table next to the sofa knocking the lamp onto the floor breaking it.

Rick steps out of the room and kicks him in the ribs yet again, getting another "Hhumph" of pain out of him. He was clearly older than Rick. Had to be at least somewhere in his 50's or maybe 60.

Rick lifted him up and spun to launch him towards the front door.

Meredith leaped onto Rick's back and started pounding on him. Rick just shook her off and launched her back through the bedroom door.

By now Alexis had started crying not being used to hearing all the noise and it was the man who fed her and cared for her who was making all the noise and she wanted it to stop.

Rick walked over to the guy on the ground now at the front door. Rick opened the door and kicked him again. Then kicked him again until his naked body was far enough out the door to close it and lock it.

"What the hell do you think you're doing Rickey?" Meredith yelled at him. She had to yell at him to be heard over the babies crying.

"My thought exactly. What the hell do you think you are doing?" Rick walked right over to her and grabbed her arms with his hands and squeezed with all the strength he still had.

"Let go of me! … It's just sex you idiot." Meredith tells him.

Rick lets go of Meredith long enough to get a different hold of her and drag her back into the bedroom.

"Get dressed and get out Meredith. OUT, OUT, OUT! … NOW." Rick was just a fraction of an inch from hitting the first woman he ever had, and if he did he might not stop.

While Meredith was getting dressed. "What is your problem, it's just sex. It's not like it's the first time."

Rick fisted his hands but left them at his side. "We married Meredith, you're my wife. And the first thing you do is cheat on me with another guy. … In our bed. And you left Alexis out there crying." Rick points out to the living room where Alexis was still crying.

"The baby, the baby. What about me? I still haven't gotten rid of all the weight I gained giving you you're damn baby." Meredith was furious. "That director had a part for me. It was my first chance since I got pregnant with your damn baby." Meredith was putting on her shoes.

"And what makes you think it's your baby anyway. I'll bet she doesn't look anything like you." Meredith decided Rick needed to hurt as much as she has. … does. Besides, she wasn't entirely sure it was his baby.

"Just get out Meredith, while you can still walk and have all your teeth." Rick warns her.

"So you want to hit me do you? I knew you were a woman beater when I met you. … You want to hit me. Go ahead, hit me. … Take your best shot Rickey." Meredith stepped right up till she was almost touching his with her chest.

Rick steps back and grabs her and spins to launch her thru the open bedroom door and over the empty end table where the lamp used to be and tumbles onto the floor.

"Get out Meredith, while you still can." Rick tells her standing in the bedroom doorway.

"I hope you're happy with your stupid baby." Meredith opened the front door and left it open after she left.

Rick stood there for a minute, truly furious. Then walked over to the front door and closed it and locked it. Not caring who was on the other side or where.

Rick went over to Alexis and picked her up. "It's alright pumpkin. The bad people are gone now. … I'll never leave you again, ever. I promise.

Cross my heart and hope to die." Rick uses his free hand to cross his chest. And gets to work getting Alexis to stop crying.

It was now 2 days later:

Alexis was sleeping while Rick was working on the re-writes his publisher wanted when there was someone at the door.

Peeking out first to see who it was since he didn't want to see Meredith or the guy she was having sex with. He had already thrown his clothes, shoes and wallet into the dumpster. Not caring who he was or how he got home, naked.

It wasn't either of them so he opened the door.

"Mr. Richard Castle?" He asked him.

"Yes." Not knowing why he was here or what he wanted.

Then he shoved a large vanilla envelope into his chest. "You've been served. Sign her." And he shoves a clip board at him.

"What's this about?" Rick asks not taking the clip board.

"I don't know and don't care. I just deliver them. Sign that you have received this or I'll have to have a Sheriff's officer deliver it." It was a threat but he didn't have any force behind it. It was just information.

Rick took it and signed it. "Have a nice day." And he left.

Rick went to the kitchen and opened the envelope and started looking at what was inside.

"DIVORCE!?" Rick's mouth falls to the floor.

Two days later he is in a lawyer's office with Alexis. He had made a promise and he was keeping it. She had been fed and had a clean diaper and he had his diaper bag with Alexis in a carrier. Wide awake and smiling up at him.

"I've read them. Your wife is filing for divorce. California law allows for her to get half of everything, however all she is asking for is the house in Bel Air, which was last valued at 3.2 million. Since you two paid cash for it and own it out right with no mortgage. It is a simple transfer.

In addition she is asking for a one time lump sum payment of $400,000. She isn't after alimony and refused to pay for child support.

In fact she had refused all legal rights to the child known as Alexis Harper Castle." His lawyer tells him.

Three months later the apartment and all its contents have been sold. He had his final divorce papers in his carry on in the bin above him. Alexis is in his arms and the diaper bag is below the seat in front of him.

With his first class ticket in his pocket he has just left the ground in California, hoping he never set foot in this damn state ever again.

He had a 1-1/2 hour layover in Denver on his way for New York City and a new life as a happy single father.

Playing with Alexis's tiny hand and yawning in her face trying to get her to yawn so she would pop her ears and not cry due to the pressure change.

He didn't have any place to stay yet, except for a hotel room. He would start the search, with Alexis in tow the day after they arrived. She had to approve too of anything he found.

His latest book was going to hit the shelves in a couple of months, just in time for fall. People would start staying home and read. At least that was what Black Pawn had told him. And New York could and would get cold.


	5. Chapter 5

**CH5**

Kate/Baby was jolted awake by the sound of someone going up the steps and inside the building. She didn't once consider who it was or what they did. She just knew that if he or anyone else found her, she wouldn't even have here to live.

The sun was still up, but it wouldn't be for much longer. Then it would be dark and she could explore the area a little. She knew she needed a few things, just not sure how or where to get them.

First she had to figure out how to secure her door after she left but leave her a way to get back in again before the sun came up.

She still had some wood, nails and her hammer. Just nailing it shut after she left would make noise and make it harder to get back in again.

Maybe a brace on the outside?

Picking up a longer piece of wood, she found that it matched the look of the wood that faced to the outside. She placed it up against her door and found that it was longer than her door.

She still had a few nails, one of which was really long and really thick and heavy. She had a plan but needed it to get dark first. Problem was, now she needed to pee. And she wasn't going to do that in her home. So she waited.

Finally it was dark enough and she really had to go. Taking her pipe down and pulling on her door, she laid it down and put her long board across the front and hammered her big nail into the middle of the board and her door.

Leaving enough nail exposed that the board could spin. Pushing her door out her opening and squeezing through herself, she gave her idea a test.

Putting the door up in place on the inside while her new board was on the outside and then pulled her new board and spun it till it was horizontal and past the boards on each side.

Problem was it was too loose and the board spun and her door fell inside.

Reaching in to get her hammer and two of her smaller nails she nailed her nails into the wood on the side. One on each side, one a little higher than the other. Then she tried it again.

IT WORKED! The little nails stopped it from spinning even if her door wasn't held closed very tightly.

Stepping back she tried looking at it to see if it was noticeable.

Her new board matched the other boards; it was just horizontal instead of vertical. Maybe anyone who saw it would see it as a brace to hold the other boards in place.

Now it was time to find someplace to pee, since she had to go, BAD!

Back down to the construction site maybe. Out front was a blue and green box that was tall enough for her to stand in and it looked like it had a door.

Opening it she saw a plastic toilet and it had TOILET PAPER! (Porta potty). Kate/Baby did everything she could while she could and came back out feeling better. Now it was time to explore.

She would eat when she got back home. More food would be nice, but she also needed other things.

Working her way back to the alley with the food, she found the very same dumpster and it was still loaded with more food. Searching for plastic bags again to hold it all was also easy.

Worried that she couldn't carry it all she decided to stop and go somewhere else to explore.

Everything was dark. All the buildings, houses, everything. Then a yellow car sped past her causing her to jump, however it didn't stop and was soon gone from sight.

Looking down one street she could see one place that had lights on, so she went to see.

It was very well lighted and very bright, enough that it hurt her eyes to look inside. What was inside were machines of some kind with round glass doors. There was no one inside so she decided to explore.

The doors to the machines opened easy enough, but the controls were different for some than others. And there was this big colorful box on the wall that had dials. Most of it said TIDE and there was some powder on the floor under it.

It was hard and gritty, definitely not the right kind of powder for her nose. It would rip it open.

Two doors down was another place with lots of light. There were shelves everywhere and there was a man in there behind a counter. That was a problem. However then she saw some of what she knew she needed.

Kate/Baby left her bag outside and went inside and avoided looking at the man behind the counter.

She found tooth brushes, tooth paste, floss, mouth wash, soap, a big bottle of water and a Bic lighter. Finding what she wanted she started to leave. "Hey you need to pay for that stuff."

PAY? Her and her 'boyfriend' never paid for anything, they just took it while someone put a gun in his face. Just no 'boyfriend' and no gun.

But she did have money. Dumping everything on the counter she pulled out her money and dropped some of it on the counter.

Kate/Baby watched him pick and choose what he wanted and even gave her back these hard round things in their place. Then he put everything in a bag and handed it to her.

She picked the unused money back up, including the hard round things and took the bag. "The laundry detergent is back there." And he pointed. "And the Laundromat is two doors down." However Kate/Baby looked at him funny.

"To wash the clothes you dropped outside and the ones you are wearing." So that's what that place was!

She went to where he had pointed and saw the word TIDE and took one, and the one that had a teddy bear snuggling a towel.

Dropping her money on the counter again and getting more hard pieces of metal in return, she went outside and picked up her bag of food and went home.

Kate/Baby only stayed long enough to grab a banana and one of her sandwiches and went back out to explore.

Down a different alley way she found still more big containers. She needed more plastic bags to carry anything she found so she went searching.

She pulled out the first bag she found and started to dump it on the ground, but found it full of clothes. They looked old and most of them were torn. So she kept it and went back to searching for more.

Kate/Baby was smiling as she did her best to carry 5 bags filled with old clothes back home.

After stuffing them thru her door, she went back to the very same big container and was soon walking home with 4 more bags filled with old clothes.

After securing her door in place she started to unload the clothes and spread them out on the dirt floor. Then she layered the next batch over the first and then started to do it again until she ran out of clothes.

She had just about covered the entire floor with at least 2 layers of old clothes. No more sleeping on dirt. But there was something she needed, so back outside she went. Problem was all of this work was tiring and she wasn't used to it.

Choosing another big container followed by another and another.

Finally happy she went back home and tossed her three containers inside and then squeezed inside herself.

Deciding that this container would be her emergency pee or poop bucket. This one would be what she would spit into after brushing, flossing, and using the mouth wash.

The other could hold water for her to wash herself just a little with.

Happy with her nights work she pulled out more food from her first plastic bag and started eating. Since she knew where to get more she saved her sandwiches for when she went out exploring.

It pretty much went like that night after night. Find more produce to eat, occasionally find clothes and she kept her eyes on the Laundromat for what nights it was usually empty of people.

Until one night she found the scaffolding gone along with her toilet. This was bad, really bad.

Kate/Baby now had three days worth of pee and or poop in her container and she was worried the smell would attract people to where she was.

On the next day the scaffolding was back up only it was now one building down from that last place. She found her toilet again and cleaned out her container and went back out exploring.

It had been two weeks, not that she knew that. Each day was just another day. Though she did notice that there were more people outside on two consecutive days, only to disappear the next and stay that way for a few days. Only to be back outside again.

She had watched people use the machines in the Laundromat and knew what to do. She used the guy two doors down to get the coins she needed to make them work.

Using her own little box of Tide she used one of the little empty boxes in the trash to measure out how much and sat around waiting for her clothes to wash. And then again for the dryer.

She spent the time eating the produce she found and the last of her sandwiches.

It was now 4 months later:

Kate/Baby now had at least six layers of clothes on the floor covering up the dirt. She even had a makeshift pillow and a dedicated rag to wash herself with.

She had found plenty of discarded plastic bottles and had found a place to fill them with water.

This one building had a hose laying out front that when she picked it up trickled out water. It in turn was attached to a wheel at the house. After turning the wheel, water came out.

Kate/Baby was however running low on cigarettes. She had maybe at best one more months' worth. She had tried her best to hold out and use one weekly, but it was a struggle. Usually she failed, but she tried.

She was also running out of money. Her last trip to that store to buy more tooth paste, tooth brushes, floss and mouth wash had almost used up all she had. She had maybe just enough to wash and dry her clothes one more time.

Kate/Baby decided to try and find her way back to where she used to live, but knew it was along walk.

Along the way she ran across a door where she saw a guy go up to it and knock. "Keith, … silver." She watched him hand over money and got cigarettes in return.

Kate/Baby now had a source! She just needed money.

She stated working her way back the way she came until this guy and his friend stepped out in front of her.

"Hey baby, what are you doing out here all alone. In the middle of the night." He was grinning at her. But he knew her name! How did he know her name? She didn't recognize him. Still, he knew her name.

"Money." She tells him.

"Money huh. … Well I'll tell you what baby. You blow me and my pal here and I'll give you twenty." His smile got wider and he unzipped his pants.

Fifteen minutes later him and his friend are walking away laughing with Kate/Baby still on her knees and $10 that she thinks is $20 in her hands. "Thanks baby."

Kate/Baby still had a problem. She had $20 and just a little more but didn't know how much she needed. If blowing 2 guys got her $20, what would being raped by a guy get her?

However she had 2 weeks to figure that out. Well two cigarettes to figure that out would be more accurate.

Kate/Baby had used up her last cigarette and was starting to panic. She needed more and knew she needed money. So back down to where Keith was located. If she could run across a guy to blow, maybe she could find one for a little more.

She was standing on the sidewalk wondering what to do. It wasn't really a great looking place. Not like where her home was located, but a few blocks over there were more cars on the road.

One car stopped next to her and the window rolled down automatically it seemed.

"You looking for a date baby?" He asked her.

How did everyone know her name? Had her 'boyfriend' told everyone?

Kate/Baby decided to try it. "Yes, for a price."

"$150 if I can do you and you blow me." He offered.

She decided to raise it. She needed all the cigarettes she could get.

"$200." Trying to not make it sound like a question.

"Get in." And he reached to open the door.

They ended up at a dive of a hotel that rented by the hour.

Once inside. "Strip baby and blow me." It didn't sound like a question. It was a command.

Kate/Baby was soon out of her clothes and on her knees. "Suck it baby!" And then he slapped her head, hard.

Once he was done he shoved her onto the bed and took the rest of his clothes off and crawled over the top of her. Then he started kissing her and squeezing her breasts hard. Hard enough that it hurt. Getting her to moan in pain.

"So you like it rough do you baby? Good, so do I." Mistaking her moan as one of pleasure.

Kate/Baby was soon crying from what he was doing, and then he was on top and pounding it into her, hard.

She could hear the bed squeaking as her head hit the headboard with each slam into her.

"Bite me baby. … scratch me, hard. Make it bleed." So she nipped him with her teeth.

He simply lifted up and slapped her drawing blood. "I said bite me bitch, hard." Then slapped her again.

This time Kate/Baby bit him, hard on the shoulder, getting him to scream out.

Then she took her hands and raked her fingers down his back, digging in as hard as she could.

He screamed and came inside of her. Then rolled over and slowly went to sleep.

Kate/Baby got up and got partially dressed so she could get out of there. It had been horrible. It brought a flash back of that first night when she had been raped over and over again.

She searched his clothes and found still more money than what he had given her, and she took all of it and ran.

After getting what she wanted from Keith who gave her a bag with a dozen cigarettes inside it, she had made it back to her home.

Kate/Baby wanted to forget what just happened, so she pulled out one of her new cigarettes and started taking big long drags. Until it was all gone and she was totally relaxed lying in her bed.

She was asleep when suddenly there was a loud noise. It was just above her.

Suddenly part of the stairs above her crashed down around and on her. The side walls of her home had blown open.

There was a lot of dust and debris. Then she could see that there was a fire above her.

Kate/Baby started crawling out of her home. Just as she made it she was hit in the back, hard. It hurt badly and she screamed in pain.

The pain didn't go away. It was like her back was on fire and the debris was burrowing into her back.

She had to get away. Kate/Baby started crawling again, but every movement brought intense pain to her back.

Kate/Baby had made it to the side walk and she saw car lights coming down the street. Seeing the car stop very close to her.

She could barely make out a man exiting the car and started asking her questions, but all she felt was pain, so the only thing that came out when she opened her mouth was her scream of pain.

Then he lifted her up and she could see the building above her was on fire, however being lifted up brought even more pain, and her world went dark.


	6. Chapter 6

**CH6**

Rick was tired, bone tired. It wasn't that Alexis was keeping him up, she was being a good girl for the most part. No, it was this pain in the ass of finding someplace to purchase. They needed a new home.

They had only stayed in the hotel for two days. Now they were in this little Marriott Extended Stay Hotel. This place at least had a mini kitchen so he could heat up Alexis's bottles easier. Plus they came in and cleaned daily just like a hotel.

He really needed to find someplace to purchase. He didn't have a crib, changing table or a whole lot of anything. He was using the coffee table as a changing table. The sofa as a crib with pillows all around her to keep her from falling off and onto the floor.

Rick was really nervous, he didn't know anything about raising a baby. He was doing the best he could.

When he went out shopping for anything he took Alexis with him. He had made a promise and he was keeping it.

He had found out fast that walking around with a baby and a baby bag was a chick magnet. Women everywhere were cooing all over Alexis, and they all made comments about her hair color and pale skin color.

Rick got tons of advice at one of the baby stores he stepped into. He came out with two bags filled with stuff. New bottles that hand bags inside that collapsed to help prevent air getting into Alexis's stomach so less fear about having to burp her.

Softer blankets, a bathing basin, better baby shampoo, softer towels. He never knew babies needed this much stuff. Or how expensive it all was.

Then he was told he would eventually need strollers, car seats, swings, something for them to bounce in and give them a chance to walk while not putting too much weight on her young legs. And of course more clothes that would only last weeks before he had to buy new clothes that were bigger.

Rick's real estate agent had decided to show him something very strange for today. He and his daughter, she was still chuckling that the place had to meet her satisfaction too, since she was going to grow up in it, had shot down everything she had shown them.

High rise apartments in the middle of downtown Manhattan were out. He didn't want to be out in the burbs where his money could buy him more house.

She had tried a modern glass encased house that by the look on his face when Rick first saw it and it didn't surprise her much when they didn't stay long. They hadn't even made it inside!

Problem was Rick didn't know what he was looking for. Just that so far he didn't like anything she had shown them.

This place, if you could call it that, was truly unique, and might be a stretch. But it was worth a shot.

"This next place is what the young people today would call thinking outside the box. The owners are retiring and they don't have any children.

Now it is presently filled with furniture and everything else they have accumulated over time. However it will come totally unfurnished. So the cosmetics of the place will not look like this when you take it over." She warns Rick.

"One owner then." Getting a nod from her. "How old is it?" Just what was she taking him to?

"It was constructed in 1907, so it has been around for a long time." She tells him, not sure if that would interest him or put him off immediately.

"1907. … Interesting." Rick didn't know what to think either. Having some old world character sounded interesting at least.

"I'll warn you that the systems are relatively basic. It has air conditioning, but only on the upper of two floors. They are window units, so no central air.

Heating is hydronic using an oil fired boiler. It has a very large tank so the oil will last a very long time. Almost the entire winter on a single tank.

The kitchen is rather rustic looking but has all the modern conveniences. Oven, range, dishwasher, etc." She adds some description for him.

"Kinda like 50's classic?" Rick asks, which actually does interest him a little.

"No it's more like wild west cabin looking kind of classic. Some of it is electric, other parts are propane." Did that interest him?

"Rustic!" Rick hummed. A sound that she took as meaning he was interested.

"Where are we going?" It was a part of town he didn't even know existed, and they were headed for water it looked like.

"We are headed for the New York City Harbor." She tells them as they are getting close.

"What are you planning on showing me? A house boat?" Rick wasn't so sure about this now.

"Boat, yes. House, yes. You'll see, just give it a chance." She prayed he wasn't put out already.

She parked and the beginning of a dock area. A large long dock area that was filled with potted plants all over the place.

"This is it?" Rick was really shocked. "What is it?"

"It's an old 1907 Ellis Island Ferry that has been converted into a home. It has two levels as you can see, plus a roof deck. The engines that powered it are long gone. That area is now home to the oil tanks and the propane tank.

"You'll probably want to look into having the upper deck enclosed so that when your daughter grows up she doesn't accidentally fall over board. … Shall we take a look?" Was he interested.

"I don't see a bus stop or subway station very close." If he took this he was going to need a car. Something he was wondering if he could avoid. He had seen how nuts traffic was in town.

"No, you are likely going to need a car to get around." It was a possible negative. He had told her he was trying to avoid getting a car.

"Well let's take a look." Rick tells her.

"It's a lot of plants, can't say I have much of a green thumb." Rick comments, seeing another negative.

"The containers are connected to an automatic water system. So long as it has power it will water the plants for you. You may need to do some trimming from time to time. However all the plants are local and low maintenance. … several even have fruits or vegetables" Trying to take away the negative.

Rick flipped his head. Ok that might work.

"The upper level is all living space. Living room, dining, kitchen, 2 bathrooms on this level. There is also an office area that I think you might like. It is very old school." She informed him.

"As you can see some of the seating from the old ferry is still here down the upper side of the ship." She pointed out.

It was a wooden seat and back that went on forever, from bow to stern it seemed.

"We can start with the stern area which is the dining room. However you can enter any upper area you like from the railing area along both sides. All the doors have locks. All of the windows have been replaced with double pane windows that were painstakingly installed in the old frames."

Rick could see some of the window air conditioning units. Inside there was another bench on one side just like the one on the outside. Down the middle was a dining room table that was all one piece of California Redwood tree. It had to be, who knows how long.

Plus there were windows just above chair rail level on both sides the entire length.

It had seating for 12 and there was a baby grand piano on this end with some seating between the piano and the table. In the distance he could see a set of stairs headed down to the lower level and another set that went up to the roof deck.

"We can write in the piano and the table if you like it and want it to remain." She tells him. "The walls below the windows all have a hard reflective insulation panel like you would find on any normal house boat out on a lake. That actually applies for all the outside walls on both levels." She adds.

Rick tried some of the keys on the piano. "Do you play?" She asked him.

Rick shook his head. "No."

"Perhaps your daughter would like to learn while she grows up." She offers. It suddenly gave Rick something to think about for the future.

The next room that was separated by a wall with a single door on one side, was the kitchen.

"WOW!" Rick eyes bugged out. Rustic didn't do it justice.

The refrigerator was obviously modern after he opened it, but it looked like one of those old refrigerators that you had to put blocks of ice inside to keep things cool.

And the oven and range where modern gas burner, however it looked like it cooked using wood in the stoker off to one side with an oven below the 5 burner top that also had a flat griddle for cooking eggs or pancakes.

Some of the cabinetry for storage was open shelves; however some of it had doors. And what doors! They were solid wood that looked like they were hand made by a weekend carpenter.

There were pots and pans hanging everywhere.

"The kitchen as you see it all remains, save for the pots, pans, dishes, etc." She informs him.

Rick was still slack jawed with the kitchen. "Off of the kitchen is the first of 2 bathrooms on this level." She opens the door for him to see.

It was ancient and rustic looking and tiny! "Everything is a replica of how things were built back in the day, however the toilet is actually dual flushing 1.6/1.1 gpf. Even though the tank that holds the water is up there on the wall near the ceiling. One chain is for #1 and the other is for #2. The shower may look old but has modern parts for a 2.0 gpm shower head to conserve water.

Which reminds me. You have your own water tank that will need to be filled from time to time. You also have a storage tank to hold all of your waste water. All of that is below the lower level along with the oil and propane tanks." She tells Rick. "OH, … there is also a small Honda generator that is meant to power only certain things. Refrigerator, water pump, emergency lighting, along with certain dedicated electrical outlets.

As you have probably noticed, some of the wiring is in exposed conduit that has been painted to match to try and hide it. You've probably seen some of the hot water rads like this one." She points out the one in the kitchen.

"They too are more modern units that replicate the old style look, so they are a lot more efficient." She tells him.

The next space was the living room with a door on the far end. It like the dining room, and had the old interior bench to sit on down one side the entire length.

It had a wood floor just like the other rooms, however this room had area rugs that covered parts of it.

"The wood floors in this room should probably be sanded down and re-stained. They are however a hard wood and very thick so it should be easy to accomplish." She advises him.

There was only a single sofa and two chairs, a pair of tables with a flat screen hanging on the wall that had the second bathroom on the other side. That bathroom was just like the first one. The furniture didn't begin to fill the room. It was huge!

"Up here is what I thought would be your office area." She takes them through the living room and opens the single door.

It was a relatively small room, though it had windows on three sides with the far end being curved. It already had a desk with some storage space and of course a rad. "This used to be one of the two pilot houses. The one on the other end was removed to make room for the piano." She explains.

"What's that?" Rick points through the window of the small door on the far side.

"That is the chicken coop on the bow of the ship. It presently holds 6 chickens and one rooster. We could write them into the contract so you could have fresh eggs for breakfast in the morning." She informs Rick.

This was the point in time that Alexis decided to make some noise and flap her arms. "She seems to approve." The real estate agent comments smiling at the actions of Alexis.

The lower level had a walkway down one side like you would find on a train. The 5 bedrooms and the 2 bathrooms, identical to the ones upstairs, except these two had tubs instead of stand up showers. However they were both still tiny!

Except for the master bedroom the other rooms where smaller with one of them barely large enough to hold a single twin size bed. All the walls including the hallway were all wood.

Each bedroom had only a single window and each had space for another window AC unit with a receptacle to plug it into.

She opened a door, the hallway was filled with them it seemed. "Down there is access to your tanks and emergency generator along with the electrical panels that all have circuit breakers. You are connected to the city power, just not the water or sewage system.

All of the tanks can be accessed from the outside. So unless you need to access the inspection doors, no one needs to board your boat to fill or empty them.

Since it is an unpowered boat you will need to have the hull cleaned to prevent barnacles from building up. It is insured as a house boat. Or more accurately a floating home, like what you would be more likely to find in cities like Seattle." She informs him. "If for some reason you need to dry dock it, you will need to have it towed by tug to someplace to do that."

"What do you think?" She asks him.

"What's the price?" After she told him how many millions it was, Rick had to whistle a wolf whistle.

"Keep in mind, this boat is one of a kind. This is the very last 1907 ferry still in New York, with or without engines.

Oh, we forgot to see the roof deck." She takes off for the stairs that takes them back upstairs and then up to the roof deck.

"If you want you can finish this off. I think the structure will support it, but you might want a ship's designer to have that verified before you try. … Oh and follow me." She walks across the top towards the bow of the boat.

"Out there just off of the chicken coop is access to a ladder that goes down to just above the water line where there is a landing. Down there you could tie off your own boat. Like a ski boat size, probably not much bigger than that. Certainly not a deep sea fishing boat. Something meant for recreation only." She adds, wondering what Rick is thinking.

"It's a little more than I was thinking of spending." Rick had another negative, though he saw a lot of positives.

"We could always negotiate the cost down some, depending on how much of what is here you want to have stay." She offers. She was working for him after all, not the seller.

"If we can get it down, say a million, with the piano, dining table and chicken coop, than I'm interested." Rick tells her.

She was ecstatic at hearing that for two reasons. It was a million dollar concession if she sold it, and it meant she had found something that made Rick and his daughter happy. This boat had been her Hail Mary pass.

"Let's get back to the office then and write it up and see what the seller's agent says. It hasn't been on the market long and to be honest not many people are likely to be interested.

It's certainly large enough to give you room to grow should you decide to expand your family." She started walking back for the stairs and then back to her car, so they could drive to her office and get this started.

She started work on the paperwork while Rick changed Alexis's diaper and then fed her.

Rick was nursing his coffee when she came in and went over the terms with him.

Inspection, Mortgage and finance verification, I'm thinking of asking them for 5% of the closing costs, the piano, dining room table and the chicken coop and of course the kitchen appliances." She lists them off.

"Washer, dryer?" Rick asks since he forgot to look for them.

"Oh I forgot to show them to you. They are high efficiency units that are stacked in one of the bathrooms on the lower level. It was behind the door, so when we opened it you couldn't see them." She added them to the list.

"Initial at each of the items that are to remain and then sign at the bottom." She tells him. Watching Rick sign.

"I'll get this in immediately. We have given the owner 24 hours to respond." She stood and shook Rick's hand.

18 hours later Rick got a call. "They have agreed to the 5% that they will pay for the closing costs, however they have only come down $600,000 of the million you asked for. You can either accept it or counter their new price. Personally I think they will come down some more. They are retiring and want out so they can down size. I think they are willing." She offers.

"Offer $300,000 less and see what they say." Rick offers. He still had to furnish the place.

"That might be more than they are willing to go down, but I'm here for you so that is what I'll go in with. I'll get back to you with what they say." She hangs up ending the call.

It was only 8 hours later when she phoned back. "They have come down $200,000 more and kept the 5% closing costs. I'm thinking this might be it for them. This is $800,000 below list price and only $200,000 off of the million you asked for." She tells him.

Rick takes a deep breath. "What do you think pumpkin? The chicken boat?" Rick plays with Alexis's tiny hand, watching her try and take it sort of but just wags her arms and smiles at his voice.

"We'll take it." Rick tells her.

"Congratulations then. You just bought yourself a home. I'm sure you and your daughter will enjoy it while she grows up. You need to come in and sign the papers so that we will be under contact locking everyone else out, and arrange for an inspection time. As soon as the inspection is over we can go from there.

One more time, congratulations Mr. Castle." And she ends the call.

The inspection only found some minor small things. One was changing out some of the receptacles for GFI ones. Several of the windows needed new caulking and the hull needed cleaning.

Rick and his agent offered less money to pay for the repairs and changes or the owner could do it themselves.

The owner agreed to have the hull cleaned and have the receptacles rewired for GFI, however declined to have the windows caulked. Each side settled on a price that was $10,000 less than offered to handle the cost of window repair or replacement.

Rick had met a boat contractor for the inspection to find out what it would take to put a deck on the roof deck with lighting.

He needed to beef up the roof joists to handle the weight load and make sure the weight was transferred down properly. He suggested one over the dining room and one over the living room with a bridge between the two over the kitchen and bathroom areas so that he didn't need to work on the ceiling in that area.

The inspector had also suggested installing a slightly larger emergency generator. The one that was there was nice but if too many things were turned on it would be overloaded.

Rick signed his life away and paid his portion of the closing costs and had a mortgage for only 1/3 of the sale price. He could move in, in 45 days to allow the owner to pack and move out. After that it would be another 3 weeks for the roof deck with railing to be installed, followed by the sanding and staining of the living room and dining room hard wood floors. Rick wanted the floors to match and this was the easiest method to achieve that.

Rick also arranged to have all the windows looked at, but chose to keep the existing emergency generator for now. It was just him and his daughter for now.

Next up was a car that he was hoping to have avoided.

The 3-series GT starts at $42,375, but entry to the powerful 335i commands $47,775. To that, Rick added the $3100 M Sport package (18-inch wheels, sport seats, M steering wheel, body kit, and sportier interior trim); the $950 Cold Weather package (heated front and rear seats and steering wheel); the $1000 Dynamic Handling package (adaptive M suspension and variable-ratio sport steering); the $2200 Premium package (proximity key, lumbar support, and satellite radio); and the $3150 Technology package (navigation, head-up display, and enhanced Bluetooth capabilities). Tack on the $650 M Sport brakes and $875 Harman/Kardon sound system and you get the $60,250 3-series GT.

He wanted something extremely safe for his little girl. He paid cash so he didn't have a car payment. Just an insurance payment.

He was taking a big risk in all of this that his first Derek Storm book would make it into the top 10 best sellers list. If it didn't he was going to sink along with his new home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

www dot newyork-wallpapers dot com/user-content/uploads/wall/o/53/Old-New-York-Harbor-Wallpaper dot jpg

Just replace the word dots with real dots and remove the spaces. This is where the home is located. Take a look and tell me what you think. I'm interested in hearing what you think.

www dot behance dot net/gallery/Historic-1907-Ellis-Island-Ferry/2040881

This will give you pictures of what Rick sees when he tours the boat before purchase.


	7. Chapter 7

**CH7**

Time line to help keep everyone straight.

Alexis is now presently just over 1-1/2 years old and is going to have a birthday in about 3 months. It's been a little less than that since the divorce.

Kate/Baby has just finished being raped so to speak and getting paid for it, gotten her cigarettes and is resting in her home oblivious to what happens next.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rick is in the kitchen wondering what to make for breakfast. **"ALEXIS!"** Rick yells out. His daughter can be picky from time to time, so he figures if he'll ask first …

Alexis comes running into the kitchen from the bow area of the boat. Rick started grinning knowing just where she was.

Alexis had a 'thing' about watching the chickens in the hen house. She seemed fascinated with them.

"Hi daddy." Alexis slides to a halt just inside the door.

"What do you think about pancakes for breakfast?" His daughter was on a vegetarian swing at the moment so wasn't sure this would go over well. "You can put your strawberries on them." Rick offers as an enticement.

"OK!" Alexis was beaming. She loved strawberries.

"We're going to need some eggs to make the batter with." Rick informs her as a reminder.

"Here's the bowl to put them in." Rick starts to hand over this big bowl that is lighter than it looks. "We need three eggs pumpkin. Can you count to three?"

Before Alexis takes the bowl she holds up her hand with her thumb pulled back and was trying to get her pinky finger to follow, but it wasn't obeying her command to do so.

Rick reaches down and bends it for her. "One, two, three." Rick taps the tip of her fingers. "You go get the eggs and I'll get started." Rick tells her and hands over the bowl. And watches Alexis leave with the bowl tucked safely up against her holding it in both her arms.

"And don't drop any this time." Rick calls to her retreating back.

Alexis's first attempt at this hadn't turned out so well. She lost one getting it out of the hen house and another in the living room just before the door to the kitchen.

Rick was soon ready, but where was Alexis with those eggs?

Rick stepped to the door way and saw his daughter with her head down watching the eggs in the bowl intently, making sure none of them moved and was walking ever so slowly. Step by agonizingly slow step.

Rick quickly retreated back to the kitchen with a smile on his face. He had to admit, when she put her mind to it, nothing stopped her. In this case it was getting 3 eggs in a bowl back to the kitchen all in one piece.

Alexis finally made it back to the kitchen and Rick took the bowl from her and placed it on the counter. "Nice work pumpkin, you're getting good at this. Pretty soon you'll be an expert." Rick smiled at her.

"Now we need the strawberries." Rick tells her and Alexis starts to take off and run to go get them. "Hold on their Rocket Ranger, not so fast. You need something to put the strawberries in." Rick reaches for another bowl, only this one is a lot smaller.

Alexis holds up fast. "Ooopps." And takes the bowl her dad offers.

"Remember just the red ones, and we don't need all of them just yet." Rick cautions her, or she would be out there for an hour picking every single red colored berry she could find.

Having all those plants out on the dock area had proven to be a bonus. Rick didn't need to water them and he only pruned them once or twice so far.

They were loaded with fruits, vegetables and herbs. A few had died off last winter, however it was easy enough to find and re-plant the ones that did.

Rick was just finishing two small pancakes for Alexis when she came back with the bowl almost filled with strawberries. "Think you got enough there?" Rick teased her. It was why he gave her a really small bowl. Rick had learned his lesson.

Alexis however just grinned at him, proud of her accomplishment. No broken eggs and no spilled strawberries all in one day.

"Go wash up and we can eat." Rick tells her and she is off to the races to the closest bathroom.

Rick has it all on the dining room table along with milk and a tiny glass of orange juice for her.

Rick grins as she dumps almost the entire contents of the bowl of strawberries on her two mini pancakes, and then watches her dad drown the whole thing with maple syrup. Sticky and gooey, just the way she likes them.

They were both done and Rick was cleaning up and loading the dishwasher. "So what do you want to do today pumpkin?"

Alexis was instantly beaming. Since her dad was asking that meant he didn't have to go write leaving her alone to entertain herself. "Dinosaurs?" Alexis asks softly.

Rick's head popped up. "Ooooo, a safari through the deep, dark and dangerous wilderness. Filled with man eating dinosaurs and the armed wilderness patrol (armed museum guards)." Alexis had his attention now.

Alexis was pretty sure she could bring out the kid in her father and get him to play with her.

"You go wash off the gooey sticky mess on your hands and grab your backpack and we can go." Rick tells her.

Her backpack actually looked like a monkey that had a zipper that you could stuff a very small amount of stuff into. It was really small and light weight. However it was still just a little big for her. However she loved it, so …..

Her monkey back pack contained everything a wilderness explorer would need. A pad to right on, a pen to write with (not that she was really any good at it yet. It just didn't stop her from trying) a flash light and her own personal cell phone that she had filled with stick on stickers.

Rick decided they needed to sing their way there.

"We're off to see the wizard, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz  
>We hear he is a whiz of a wiz, if ever a wiz there was<br>If ever, oh ever a wiz there was, The Wizard of Oz is one because  
>Because, because, because, because, because<br>Because of the wonderful things he does  
>We're off to see the wizard, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz."<p>

"Is the road made of gold daddy?" Alexis asks after helping him with the song.

"I wish it was pumpkin, I wish it was. … Do you think there will be any munchkins in our wilderness?" Rick gave her something to think about.

"Flying monkeys?" Alexis offers instead.

"Well we'll just have to search really hard for them, won't we?" Rick looks in the rear view mirror watching Alexis nod her head.

"Oh great, the road is closed. It's not on the navigation system." Rick stops and looks at his navigation and tries inputting their destination again and getting the same route.

"Maybe if I start going the wrong way I can force it to give me a new route." Rick wonders. So he picks a direction and turns.

He is doing fine till he comes across another road closure. "Blast, I forgot about this road being closed."

"Daddy?" Alexis calls from the back seat where she is strapped in, in her car seat.

"We're going to have to go off the yellow brick road pumpkin." The navigation unit kept trying to get him to go back and take the same now closed route.

"The witch will get us." Alexis was worried now.

"Not as long as you stay in the car pumpkin. That big bad witch can never get you while you are in here with me." Rick tries to sound convincing.

Alexis remained silent but wasn't completely convinced of it.

Rick turned a new direction hoping the stupid navigation system would snap out of it and come up with a new route.

Finally it did and wanted him to turn right at the next intersection. The road itself looked clear and the area itself looked nice enough. However there was some scaffolding on one of the building faces a few blocks up.

Rick slowed down to look at the construction. It looked like they were refacing the building.

He was still going slow for another two blocks making sure he didn't get t-boned by anyone. When suddenly he saw a streak of something flash across the road just ahead of him and slam into the building on his right. The same side as the scaffolding behind him was on.

Rick didn't know what it was, however the building it crashed into suddenly exploded.

Rick was almost right next to it when it exploded and shot pieces of it out into the air and across the street, but none of it hit his car.

Rick slammed on the brakes and was just getting ready to put the car in reverse and back up, since he didn't want to go through here anymore.

"You ok pumpkin?" Rick had turned his body and was looking at her, watching her nod her head.

"We're going to, …." But his attention was attracted to something else. There was a young woman crawling away from the building and it looked like her clothes might be starting to catch fire.

Rick put the car into park instead and jumped out leaving the door open and raced for the woman on the ground. He could hear her screaming in pain.

Rick did his best to pat the mini fires out that were on her back. He was just about to ask her his first question when the building he thinks she just came from started to fall apart.

So Rick scooped her up and he heard her scream in pain and then suddenly went limp.

Rick carried her over to his car and managed after three tries to get the passenger door open and got her into the passenger seat. Thinking he had no time to use the seat belt he slammed the door closed and ran around the back of the car and got behind the wheel.

Placing it into reverse he backed up until he had reached the scaffolding area when he stopped and turned around and started driving with no destination in mind. Just wanted to get away from that area.

"You ok dad?" Alexis didn't want him hurt.

"I'm fine pumpkin." Rick looked in the rear view mirror at her. She looked scared.

"We're fine pumpkin we're leaving that area." Rick tried to assure her that she was still safe.

"Is she hurt dad?" Alexis could see the lady in the front seat.

"I think so, yeah." Rick took a quick peek at her.

"Is she the witch?" Alexis thinks she might be. A house dropped on her after all.

"I don't think so pumpkin. I'm betting the coyote mistook her for a road runner and tried to drop a house on her, but missed." Rick decided to get her mind off witches.

"Oh! … Beep, beep, zip bang." Alexis responds. "Mean coyote." Alexis liked the road runner better.

Problem was Rick didn't know what to do with his new passenger. He didn't know where the closest hospital was from here. He had only taken Alexis to see their primary care physician, never to the emergency room. He had to get his own medical coverage since he was self-employed.

He didn't have a plan but suddenly decided to take her home with them. So he plugged in home into the navigation unit and was home in almost no time.

He got Alexis out of her car seat and gave her the keys. "Go see if you can unlock the door while I carry her inside." Rick asks of her.

She wasn't tall for an almost 2 year old and was having trouble reaching till she remembered there was a step she could move to help her.'

By the time she had it moved and was putting the key in the lock, Rick showed up carrying the lady in his arms.

Alexis opened the door and Rick kicked her step out of the way and carried her downstairs and put her in the smallest bedroom with the single twin bed.

Finally getting her down in the bed he looked her over quickly.

It was hard to tell if she was pretty. She was really thin looking, her face lacked color and she was dusty and dirty. And her clothes were a mix of kinda clean and dirty.

NOW WHAT?

He could call the police and have them come get her. Call for an ambulance and have them take her away. She probably had family and friends who might be looking for her.

Rick however did none of those things. "Hi Lanie, can you come over and bring your bag. I have someone hurt here that needs help." Rick was hoping she had the time.

"Is Alexis hurt?" Lanie loved Alexis. Lanie however also knew she stood no chance with Rick. He wasn't looking for anyone and she knew she wasn't the one. But that didn't stop her from making him a friend.

"I've got 6 hours before work so I'll be right over." Lanie was working the night shift now.

Just a little later. "Hi munchkin, where's your father." Alexis had come to the door to let Lanie in since the entire top floor was mostly glass.

"Downstairs nana." Alexis had trouble with her name and trouble with calling her aunt Lanie.

"Lead the way munchkin." Lanie told her and closed and locked the door behind her.

"LANIE, I really appreciate this." Rick tells her as he gets up from the little chair that was also in the room.

"Who do we have here?" Lanie asks moving over to her.

Rick proceeded to recount what happened.

"And you brought her home instead of taking her to the hospital? What about her parents?" Lanie was ready to slap him senseless. Just that she thought he already was senseless.

"Just do what you can Lanie. After she is awake I can question her and get her family over here and take her home." Rick offers.

"Fine, let me look at her and I'll let you know. … Now get lost." Lanie shoos him out of the room and closes the door.

"Ok honey, let's see what you look like." Lanie got busy.

Rick and Alexis were sitting in the living room. One half was Ricks while the other half was where Alexis could play inside. It was also the location of all her toys. Her tricycle was out on the deck where Rick would take it down to the dock area and let her ride it around.

Alexis was silent the entire time. She could see and feel that her dad was worried, so she was too.

It was 1-1/2 hours later when Lanie came back upstairs and finds them in the living room.

"Can I have a juice box honey?" Lanie asks of Alexis.

Alexis hesitated, she wanted to know if the lady was ok too. "It's ok pumpkin, go on." Rick offered her to go get it.

Lanie took a deep breath. "She's in bad shape Rick. She is moderately malnourished, a little dehydrated, her skin color is not good. It looks like she hasn't seen any sun for at least a year, maybe more.

Her hair is a mess and needs to be cut way back. She hasn't shaved her legs or trimmed her pubic hair for a very long time. Probably equal to the time with no sun.

Her teeth looked to be good however" Lanie lowered her head and let out a heavy sigh.

"She shows signs of having been repeatedly raped numerous times. The last one was relatively recent." Lanie hated telling him the worst part.

Rick looked like someone had just killed his own daughter. "How bad?" Rick was fearful of the answer.

"It's bad Rick. She is going to be scarred there likely for the rest of her life. Without doing an in more depth examine I don't know if it has affected her ability to have children.

I took some blood samples and scraped everything from under her finger nails. I'm going to take them into work and run some tests. Privately." Lanie was an ME for the NYPD.

"I've given her some shots, one of which will keep her sleeping for few hours. I'll be back after work. I want to set up an IV and get some fluids in her and I'll leave you some anti-biotic samples I can get from a friend.

Hopefully I'll have her blood test results by then, but I might not." Lanie finishes with what she has found.

Alexis is back with a juice box. "Thanks honey." Lanie starts drinking it immediately. She didn't really need it but wanted Alexis out of the room so she didn't have to hear any of that.

"She ok nana?" Alexis asks.

"She's sick honey and is going to need lots of help." Lanie explains it to her.

"Dad can help her. The coyote dropped a house on her." Alexis states. Getting Lanie to look at her funny.

"Beep, beep, zip bang!" Alexis states. Getting Lanie to start laughing which got Alexis to start laughing.

Lanie met Rick at the door. "Thanks for coming Lanie. We'll see you tonight." Rick tells her.

"I sure hope you know what you're doing Rick. I'm not sure you can help her. If her blood work comes back what I think it will, she's going to need a lot more help than you can give her." Lanie was thinking prostitute strung out on drugs.

"I found her in a nice area Lanie." Rick had some hope still.

"Doesn't really mean anything these days, but I hope your right." Lanie left Rick behind and went home to get ready for work.


	8. Chapter 8

**CH8**

Rick went down to check on her and check her forehead to see if she had a temperature. Lanie hadn't talked about it, but that didn't mean she wouldn't get one.

Rick kept Alexis away from her by trying to keep her busy. Fortunately Alexis didn't ask too may hard to answer questions. Somehow Rick dodged a bullet there.

Last time he checked she was still asleep when Lanie showed up again after she got off work.

This time Rick went with her down to her room and watched Lanie hook up an IV in her arm and then hung the bag.

"This will get some much needed fluids into her. I'm going to give her another shot and I've got some anti-biotics that are samples for you to give her. Try to keep her from yanking this out. Leave it in till it's all gone, if she yanks it out don't try to put it back in yourself. Just call me and let me know and I'll put it back in when I have time." Lanie instructs him.

"How about that blood test?" Rick asks her, feeling anxious with Alexis around.

Lanie shakes her head. "We got a body drop so I've been busy. I'll get to it as soon as I can." Lanie explains.

"Oh and if you can, get a urine sample from her and call me when you have it. I want to test it too.

Make sure she starts eating something. Something with protein in it and some fiber. Just not too much of anything at first. It's likely her system can't take it. It'll just give her diarrhea. Causing her to lose fluids, something we don't want.

Just get ready for the withdrawals when she doesn't get what she wants and think she needs and can't live without." Lanie warns him.

"You think she's taking something?" Rick had looked at her arms earlier and didn't see anything.

"Most kids smoke it or shove it up their nose these days. Needles are pretty much out now." Lanie advises him.

"You're sure you want to do this?" Lanie was only too willing to have someone come get her and put her in the system.

"Don't ask me why, but yes. I don't have a good reason Lanie. It just feels right somehow. I just want you to help me a little Lanie. … Please." Rick tried to give her his best puppy dog eyes look.

"Ok stop with the puppy dog eyes. I was going to help you anyway. I just wanted to be sure you knew what you are getting yourself into.

Right now is the calm before the storm and trust me, there is going to be a storm if I'm right. This isn't likely to just take a few days Rick, or even weeks." Lanie warns him in case his head was in the clouds, or buried in the sand.

To be honest Rick was thinking a few weeks. Hearing it might be months was a little sobering, but he was still going to do it.

"Got it, we'll survive, thanks Lanie." Rick really was glad she was here.

"I'll let you know the results of the blood tests when I get it, and I'll be back in a week to check in on you. … And her." Lanie takes her leave of them after saying goodbye to Alexis.

Lanie would like to have warned her to stay away from the lady downstairs, but she wasn't her mother and it wasn't her place so she left with. "You just be careful munchkin and do what your father tells you."

Kate/Baby woke up and blinked her eyes open and started to try and focus and wait for her mind to wake up too.

Looking around it wasn't anyplace she could remember being. It certainly wasn't her home. There were no stairs above her. The room itself was kind of small though still it was bigger that her home. Maybe even smaller than her old room she shared with her 'boyfriend'.

'Boyfriend'? She tried to think about that for a moment. Why had she run? It was the first thing she had thought to do when she was awake enough to think about it. He had her smoking those cigarettes and sniffing while lines of power up her nose for so long she didn't actually remember anything else.

Her whole life at that time was one big fuzzy blur.

But where was she now? There was a picture on the wall. It was in black and white and looked old. She was in a bed again, elevated off the floor and had a cover over her. She lifted the cover.

SHE WAS NAKED! How or when did this happen? Where were her clothes? Where were her cigarettes?

Run was the next thing to come to mind. Kate/Baby started to lift the covers and work her way out of bed, however all that got her was a shot of pain up her back that caused her to cry out.

Kate/Baby fell back down onto the bed and tried to will the pain to go away. Then suddenly the door opened and a man she had never seen before entered.

"You're awake." And he stepped into the room and sat in the only chair in the room. "Are you in pain?" His voice was so soft and soothing and it had a sound of caring in it. However Kate/Baby didn't trust him so she just nodded her head once, not wanting to talk to him.

Then he reached for this little table she had missed earlier and grabbed a small bottle and shook something out. "Here take these, they'll help with the pain." He put these two pills in her hand and then moved to lift her up a bit.

It hurt a little when he did, then he picked up the glass of water that was also on the table and waited for her to put the pills in her mouth before helping her drink them down.

Then he kept holding her up while he replace the glass with still another pill. "Here you need to take this one too. It's an anti-biotic. It'll help you heal from your injuries and help prevent new ones from making them worse." Then he brought the glass back.

After letting her lay back down he adjusted the cover that was over her so that she was tucked in tight.

"My name is Rick, can you tell me your name?" Rick used his 'make baby Alexis feel better' voice.

Kate/Baby decided to risk it, maybe it was the voice, or the pain, or the pills. "Baby."

Rick tried not to laugh or snort. "Baby? … seriously?" Rick's however were wide open. It was not the reaction Kate/Baby was expecting.

"Baby, as in babe? Someone who you know has been calling you baby so you use it. … Or you don't trust me with your real name. And that's fine, I get it. I'm just some strange guy and you wake up in one of my bedrooms. I wouldn't trust me either." Rick gave her an 'I'm not a bad guy' kind of smile.

Kate/Baby was confused. Real Name? Baby was her name, she didn't have another one. But she did like his eyes, they were so very blue and when he opened them wide, she felt like going swimming in them. Swimming in that ocean of blue.

"Hungry? Let me get you something to eat." And Rick jumps up and leaves closing the door behind him before she can even attempt to say anything.

It left Kate/Baby with time to think. He seemed nice, and she liked his eyes. Since he had tucked her in nice and tight she decided to move her hands around to check things out.

WAIT! WHERE DID THIS TUBE COME FROM, AND WHY IS IT STUCK INTO HER ARM? WHAT IS HE DOING TO HER?

Kate/Baby decided it had to go when suddenly the door opened again and he was back. "I forgot to mention that you have an IV stuck into your arm. You need to leave it in. It's trying to get fluids into your body. You haven't been drinking enough water, or eating enough of the proper foods.

So just leave it in, it'll help you feel better. I'll explain when I get back." And Rick rushes back out as fast as he came in.

Kate/Baby took her hand off of it and left it and went back to checking out the rest of her that she could reach.

Rick was soon back with a tray and found getting the door open again was a challenge.

"Hi, I've got soup, some saltines you can crumble up and drop into it if you want, a banana, some strawberries and some Trisquit crackers for you to nibble on later. Oh and a glass of milk and a vitamin tablet." Rick sets the tray down on the chair where Kate/Baby can see all of it.

"Let's get you sitting up some so you can eat this." Rick loosens the cover he had tucked in tightly and starts to help her lift to a more sitting position.

"I'm sorry if this hurts a little, but you can't eat lying down." Rick gets her up a little and the cover drops exposing her breasts and Rick quickly turns away and puts his hand to the side of his face.

"Sorry, I forgot Lanie told me she removed your clothes." Rick reaches in blindly looking for the cover and tries lifting it up to cover her back up again. Taking peeks to see if he is making any progress.

Finally thinking it is far enough up he works with purpose to tuck the cover in place for it not to fall again. "Sorry, I promise I didn't see a thing. And what I did see I'll erase from my memory."

Rick however knows he's lying, because he did see and is certainly going to remember, especially when he tries to get some sleep tonight. It's been close to 3 years since he has seen a naked woman.

Kate/Baby however is confused and mildly amused at his behavior. Her 'boyfriend' kept her naked except for when she was bleeding.

"There all better." And Rick transfers the tray over onto her lap. "It's just chicken noodle soup out of a can. It seemed like the best choice. … I had Alexis pick the strawberries from our little garden while I was warming up the soup. … Oh, here, let's start with the multi-vitamin. It'll help balance out your system." Rick hands her a little purple colored jelly.

"You just chew it. There are 4 different flavors. What it looks like gives a hint as to the flavor." Rick explains.

Kate/Baby placed it in her mouth and chewed. She couldn't place the flavor but it was nice enough, it had a soft flavor, barely noticeable.

Rick picked up the spoon and handed it to her. "Here you can start and I'll explain."

Rick went through everything from his intended car trip to the museum to the point where he saw something, he didn't know what crash into the building and try to bury them in his car with debris. (he's a story teller, so he's making it sound catastrophic and heroic on his part).

Including the part where he found her and carried her to his car and drove with expert reflexes (not scared out of his mind) and brought her home.

"Lanie is a friend of mine, one of the few I have in New York. We haven't lived here long. Derek Storm went to the Morgue in one of his adventures and I wanted it to read as being authentic. So I went to the one in a police station and met Lanie, who it turns out is a fan. She helped me write up the encounter for the book and we've been friends ever since." Rick explains.

"And no, before you get any ideas, she's not my girlfriend or my wife, since I'm divorced and not married. Besides Lanie is, … well, I mean she's, …. Just not what I'm looking for." Rick deflates.

After Kyra left him and then the fiasco with Meredith, he wasn't really trying to find anyone. Well actively seeking out anyone that is.

"You can crush the saltines and drop them in the soup if it's too runny for you. It'll change the taste a little too." Rick mimics how to crush the saltine crackers and watches Kate/Baby do it with two or three, then go back to eating.

When the bowl was empty Kate/Baby ate the banana next, and drank her milk while eating it.

When she was done Rick took the tray from her and left her the package of Triscuits.

"They're full of fiber, or at least that's what the package says. Not that you can really trust what the package says, it's just a marketing ploy." Rick was rambling and he knew it, but he was nervous.

Usually he would shut down when he was nervous. Somehow talking to her had him bumbling out all kinds of stuff. _Great, she probably thinks I'm nuts. Lanie certainly seems to think so._

"Let's get you back in bed so you can rest." Rick helps her lay back down and tucks her in nice and tight. "I'm going to go get the baby monitor. " It suddenly struck him he needed a way to keep tabs on her. Using Alexis's old baby monitor seemed like a good idea.

It took him a few minutes to find it. "With this I can hear you call out if you need anything. … Nibble on your crackers if you want to and you still have your glass of water.

Do NOT pull that out of your arm. It's meant to help you feel better, so please let it.

I'll be back for dinner. If you want anything just call out and I'll hear you." Rick turns to leave and makes it only as far as the door.

"Oh, as for your clothes. … The ones you were wearing were not in good shape so I threw them out. I ordered some new clothes and they should arrive in a few hours. You gotta love New York, you can get anything delivered here. I had to guess on sizes so I hope they fit. I'll let Lanie deal with the, …. Feminine products." Rick turns and leaves closing the door behind him.

It left Kate/Baby alone with her thoughts. He seemed nice. He says he bought her new clothes. He has her taking pills he says will help, and she does have pain. Pain that he didn't give her.

Kate/Baby is still tempted to yank the thing out of her arm, but doesn't. He did leave her, like her 'boyfriend' did, just not completely if what he said about that device she can see was true.

Kate/Baby reached for the bag of crackers he left behind and took a bite of one. Interesting taste! She decided she liked them.

A few crackers later and her water was gone since they dried up her mouth somehow. "Hello."

In a moment Rick opened the door. "Something wrong?" Rick asks her sounding a little out of breath, having sprinted from his office where he was typing right past Alexis who was on the other side of his office door, playing.

"Water?" She had drank what he left her.

"Of course." Rick picks up the empty glass. "How about something with some more taste to it?" Rick offers. "Be right back." Rick leaves closing the door again. Not letting her answer his question.

Rick soon returns with a glass filled with something that looks like PEE to her. Rick leans down to let her sip but she shakes her head.

"It's apple juice, Alexis loves it. …. Here, see." And Rick takes a sip and then brings it back to her lips.

Kate/Baby takes a sip and a "Hhmmm." Comes out.

"Thought you might like it." Rick places it on the chair next to her bed where she can reach it again.

"Get some rest, I'll be back in a few hours." And Rick leans down to kiss her forehead. It was force of habit mostly. He does it for Alexis all the time.

Rick closed the door and found Alexis in his office sitting in his chair. "Is she still sick daddy?"

"Yes pumpkin she still is, but we're going to take good care of her. Aren't we?" Rick kneels down to her level. "I need you to stay out of her room pumpkin. I don't want you getting sick."

"Like last time?" Alexis asks remembering the last time she was sick.

"Yes, like last time. It was bad, wasn't it?" Watching his daughter throwing up was painful. But it got Alexis to nod her head.

"You go back and play and let me type. I'll start dinner soon. You want to help me fix dinner?" It would keep her entertained and allow him to keep an eye on her. It did however get her to nod her head enthusiastically.

"That's my girl, now go play so I can type." Rick really needed to get a few chapters finished.

His first Derek Storm book and been a huge success. It had made it to the top 10 in less than 2 weeks after its release. It had stayed there past Christmas and even past Valentine's day. It was still in the top 20 even today.

It had earned Rick and Black Pawn, Millions. Rick had used it to pay off the mortgage on the boat, getting rid of one of his bills. The biggest one he had actually. His daughter wasn't going to grow up wondering where her next meal was coming from. And no cockroach races for her.

She might grow up motherless like he did fatherless, but she would be loved just like he was.

Lanie had called saying she couldn't make it over tonight. She had only just finished with the first body when she got two more. Either a double homicide or murder suicide, she didn't know which yet.

Rick decided that the spaghetti with meat balls was probably too heavy of a meal for his guest. He was still working on what to call her. He sure as hell wasn't calling her baby. He hadn't tried to guess her age yet. He just knew she wasn't a baby.

Rick was still learning to cook. Since it was all trial and error on his part, this time it was sauce from a jar. Instead of something homemade.

Rick put together some tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich, more crackers and a glass of milk for her to eat.

Rick stayed to talk with her to make sure she ate it all, and gave her another couple of pills like Lanie told him to.

Rick took the empty bowl and glass back upstairs and came back down with more triscuit crackers and another glass of apple juice and left them behind.

"Call out if you need anything." Rick tells her and leans over and kisses her forehead again and then leaves closing the door behind him.

It left Kate/Baby alone with her thoughts again. He fed her better than her 'boyfriend' did, but she was going to need a cigarette soon. She could already feel the need for one creeping up on her.

And why did he keep kissing her, but not actually kiss her? It was confusing. Plus he didn't come down with any clothes for her like he said. Did he lie to her?

Suddenly the door opened again startling her. Kate/Baby just wasn't use to having people around her coming and going as they please.

"Your clothes just arrived. I'm going to hang some of them in the closet and put the others in the chest of drawers." Rick tells her.

Kate/Baby watched him put them away. Blue jeans, some kind of top she didn't get a good look at, followed by another one. Into the drawers went she didn't know what. They were really small and colorful. Two t-shirts, a sweatshirt, 2 pairs of yoga pants, socks and three bras. Each one a different color. Plus something she didn't recognize but it looked like a top of some kind (sports bra).

Then he dropped some shoes on the floor. "I had to guess at all the sizes. These are boat shoes, so you don't slip on the wet boards and fall overboard, for when you are ready to get up and walk around.

Remember, call out if you need anything." And Rick was gone again.

Kate/Baby was alone with her thoughts again, just like always. However listening to him talk was nice. And he got her clothes. New clothes even, not ones out of a big container. Most of which smelled nasty sometimes.

It was 7:00 am and Kate/Baby wasn't awake yet. The blackout curtains on the only window was keeping out all of the sun light, so her room was still dark.

"Time stamp. One solar day for the planet in this system complete. Fusion with new host body and the spinal column complete. Full level 3 diagnostic of all systems is complete. No damage or malfunctions detected. Beginning analysis of the host's body.

Beginning construction of medical nanites for repairs of hosts body.

Minor damage to spinal column during fusion detected. Beginning repairs.

Hosts liver appears to be malfunctioning and is at only 90% effective. Beginning repairs.

Both of the hosts kidneys are malfunctioning. Host will be subject to high blood pressure in a number of years. Beginning repairs.

Both of the host's lungs have a large number of foreign deposits in them. Beginning repairs.

Beginning analysis of host's blood. Analysis in progress.

Several of the host's neural connections have been severed. Others have been damaged while others that are unwanted have been created. Host is using only 10% of brain. Beginning repairs and increase of percentage.

Blood analysis complete. There are several foreign contaminants that have caused damage to other areas of the hosts body. Beginning filter and removal of all foreign contaminants. Disposal will take place during hosts normal monthly bleeding.

There is severe damage to hosts reproduction insertion location. Minor damage to host's uterus wall. Beginning repairs.

Muscle mass is significantly diminished from expected norms. Training and exercise will be required. Expansion of muscle mass will begin when host starts exercising properly. Repairs are required first.

Beginning analysis of time required to complete all repairs.

Analysis complete. Estimate one standard solar circuit for 100% completion. Will resume primary mission and begin search for target when hosts body is at 100% effectiveness.

Search for required weapons to capture or neutralization of target will begin when host's body reaches 100% effectiveness.

End journal entry.


	9. Chapter 9

**CH9**

Kate/Baby was awake but couldn't figure out what time of day it was. Even though she hated direct sunlight she used it to determine what time of day it was.

Blinking her eyes open she found that the curtains were open a little and there was light in the room.

Kate/Baby turned her head to look for those crackers and her glass of apple juice Rick had left her last night. When all she saw were some blue eyes just as blue as Rick's however they were attached to someone with orange hair. And she was smiling at her.

Kate/Baby started to open her mouth to ask the obvious little girl in front of her a question when she held her finger to her own mouth and said. "Sshhhhh."

Kate/Baby did her best to put a 'Why?' look on her face. Seeing the little girl point to the thing Rick had left behind. She was awake enough to work out she meant the baby monitor. If they talked Rick would hear.

The little girl then moved in really close and whispered. "HI!" And started smiling at her.

Then they both heard Rick yelling. **"ALEXIS, BREAKFAST!" **Then Alexis waved at Kate/Baby and moved to the door and opened it very, very carefully and silently. Then closed it very, very carefully and silently.

Now Kate/Baby knew Rick wasn't alone and who this Alexis was that had picked the strawberries. She looked young, really young and probably wasn't supposed to be in here since she was worried about the baby monitor.

It was a little later when Rick showed up with another tray, this time with breakfast on it. "Hi, how are you feeling today?" This time Rick waited for a reply.

"Fine." Kate/Baby replied and gave him half a smile.

"Good, I've got breakfast. I've got oatmeal with slices of banana, a few blueberries, two strawberries and a little dash of cinnamon. A glass of milk and a little orange juice. This is a piece of toast with some strawberry jelly on it, and this is an orange you can peel open later." Rick walks her thru each piece.

"Let's get you sitting up a little so you can eat." Rick sits the tray on the chair and lifts Kate/Baby to a more sitting position. Then Rick pulled out the IV line since the bag with the fluids was empty.

"Here are your pain pills, anti-biotic pill and your vitamin gummy." Rick hands them over one at a time. Getting Kate to drink them down with the glass of milk.

"Do you have much pain?" Rick was curious. Getting Kate/Baby to shake her head.

"Daddy?" Came a voice from the open doorway.

"Pumpkin, what did I tell you about coming down here?" Rick didn't need his daughter getting sick.

"You are here daddy." Alexis counters.

Rick moans, he needed to be more careful with his words. Alexis was getting smart. "Ok come on in here." Rick waves his hand.

"This is Alexis, my daughter. She's been helping me pick the strawberries for your meals. Pumpkin, this is, … Baby." Rick hadn't thought up a new name for her yet.

Alexis looked at her funny and tilted her head. "You do not look like a baby." Alexis states innocently. Alexis had seen babies and this lady was definitely too big to be a baby.

"She doesn't want to tell us her real name yet pumpkin. She doesn't trust us yet with it. So we're going to have to prove we are trustful. You think we can do that?" Rick asks her. Getting Alexis to nod her head enthusiastically.

"That's my girl." Rick smiled at her.

"Pumpkin?" Kate/Baby asks not understanding.

"When Alexis was just a baby she had this really brilliant orange colored hair. It's starting to get a little redder." Rick messes the hair on the top of her head, getting Alexis to bat at his hands. "She kind of reminded me of a pumpkin and I started using it." Rick explains.

Mostly he only used it when he was happy with her and loved her. Rick used her real name, Alexis, only when he wanted her attention or was introducing her to someone. Rick only called her Alexis Harper when he was pissed at her. Which didn't happen very often.

Rick with Alexis still at his side waited for Kate/Baby to finish eating, then took everything away, leaving the orange, crackers and left over apple juice on the chair where she could reach all of it.

"If you get bored or need something just call out. I don't have anywhere to go today." Rick explains, though he did have a meeting with Black Pawn to attend in a few days.

Rick exited the room and turned to find Alexis still standing and looking a Kate/Baby. "Alexis, let's go pumpkin. You can help and come back down during lunch." Rick offers a consolation prize.

Alexis turns to look at her dad and then back at Kate/Baby and waves her hand at her again. "Bye." And exits the room allowing Rick to close the door behind them.

Alexis was standing in the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room. "Daddy, can she walk?" Alexis had never seen her on her feet yet. Even when her dad picked her up off of the street he had to carry her, and then carry her down the stairs.

Rick was in the kitchen cleaning up from making 2 different breakfasts. One for them and one for her. "I don't know. I know she has pain when she sits up, so I'm betting she has pain when she walks too." Rick didn't know.

"Why?" Alexis understood pain but why couldn't she walk?

"You remember when that building fell down while we were driving? I think some of that may have fallen on her and it hurts." Alexis hadn't been afraid of the building falling. It was the noise it made that had scared her a little.

"She does not talk." In fact the lady had barely said a work so far.

"I don't think she trusts us yet. Maybe she's just scared. She did have a house fall on her." Rick points out.

"I do not like that witch. … She's mean." She had a house fall on the lady.

"Mean witches are mean and good witches are good. …. Do you think she's a witch?" Rick was willing to play along, so long as it didn't go too far.

"She is a good witch daddy." Alexis states with conviction. Nodding her head to enforce her point.

"Oh and what makes you think she is a good witch?" Rick was dying to hear this one.

"That bad witch dropped a house on her." Alexis was sure that was it.

"I see, what if the bad witch dropped it on her by accident, when she really meant to drop it on Dorothy instead?" Rick was sure he had her now.

"Nope, Dorothy has magic slippers to protect her. She has to stop the good witch from helping Dorothy." Alexis states with conviction.

It left Rick puzzled. It kinda made sense and kinda didn't. In either case there was an "Hello" over the baby monitor.

"You stay here pumpkin, don't move a muscle." And Rick headed for the stairs and down to her room.

After opening the door and stepping up to the bed. "Bored?" Rick takes a guess. Lying in bed doing nothing can get boring.

"I need to pee." Kate/Baby states.

"OH! … Oh crap." Now he had a problem. Rick knew she was buck naked under that bed cover.

"Be right back." And Rick raced down the hall to his bedroom and then raced back. "Ok, let's see if we can get you into my robe without me seeing too much." This was going to be a challenge.

If this worked out he had to remember it for a Derek Storm future event.

Rick could hear her moan a little all the way to the bathroom. He lifted the toilet cover up so she could sit down and then lifted the robe she was wearing a little and kept it out of the way while she sat down. Then let the robe fall back into place, covering her up again.

"Since I've got you here I'm going to fill the tub with hot water and see if I can get you into it so you can scrub yourself clean." Rick turned on the water and started filling the tub. He could hear her peeing just as he left the bathroom. Not wanting to dwell on the matter, he went down to the bedroom to grab the baby monitor and then came back.

Knocking before entering he set the baby monitor on the lavatory and opened up the storage area below it. With 2 things in hand, he moved over to the tub and poured one of them in and then poured the other one in. Then put them back.

Kate/Baby had watched him curious as to what he was doing. He must have seen the look on her face. "One of them is an oil to help keep your skin soft and the other is a soap that makes bubbles." Then she watches him put his hand in the tub.

"Oooo, maybe just a little too hot." And increases the cold water a little.

Since he had propane fired tankless water heaters he could fill all the tubs at the same time if he wanted to. It would just use up the propane a little faster.

Finally ready for the next hard part, he helped Kate/Baby to stand and guided her over to the tub. Closing his eyes tight he took the robe off and helped her step into the tub and didn't open them again until he was sure she was sitting. All covered up and hidden by the bubbles.

"This is the loofa and this is the body wash." And proceeds to pour some onto the loofa. "Use this to wash yourself with, and use this thing to scrub your back." Rick hands her the brush.

"If you want more body wash, just pour it onto the loofa. …. Just call out when you are ready." And Rick points to the baby monitor on the lavatory. It wasn't a very big bath room so it wasn't far.

Rick yanked on one of the chains to flush the toilet and closed the door on his way out.

Kate/Baby sat in the tub for a few moments adjusting to the temperature of the water. It did seem to sooth some of her aches and pains. But why did he not want to see her naked. Her 'boyfriend' kept her naked all the time.

Was she ugly? Did he not like women? Then suddenly he was back after knocking. "I forgot, this is the shampoo so you can wash your hair. Let me know when you are ready for that and I can do it for you." Rick tells her and then he's gone again.

Kate/Baby didn't understand him. He talked a lot, which she found she didn't mind, even though no one had talked to her for long in a long time.

And he seemed to care. New clothes, he feeds her, has her taking pills he says are good for her. Her pain is less, maybe because of the pills. He got her new clothes.

All she has seen however is the little bedroom she is in, the hallway to get to the bathroom and the bathroom she is in now.

Kate/Baby picked up the loofa and started scrubbing. Some areas where painful when she scrubbed them. Parts of her stomach, her legs and especially the area between her legs.

Done for now she switched to the brush to scrub her back. This action actually felt pretty good. Kate/Baby found herself squirming around in the tub trying to reach the spots that felt better.

Eventually she stopped and just relaxed and let out a contented sigh.

It wasn't until she felt the water starting to get colder. "Hello." Rick showed up in a few moments.

"Ready to wash your hair?" Rick asked as he got down on his knees and faced the tub and grabbed the shampoo bottle.

Rick reached up and grabbed the hand held unit and we her hair down, then poured out a generous portion into this hand, then started working on her hair.

Rubbing and scratching it into her scalp. His hands felt soft and Kate/Baby liked the sensation. She could feel his fingers making her scalp move and closed her eyes and let her feel the sensation.

"We should probably cut your hair one of these times. It really is a tangled mess. Then let it grow back out again if you want it long. The length looks good on you. It frames your face nicely." Rick was done and then rinsed it out again.

Then Rick grabbed the same bottle but didn't use as much this time and repeated the process. Only it didn't last as long. Then rinsed it all out.

Then Rick grabbed a different bottle and poured out another large amount and started working it into her hair just like he did the first time. It got Kate/Baby to moan and sigh this time. "This is the conditioner, It'll help take out some of the tangled mess." Then Rick stopped and just sat there.

Kate/Baby started to get confused, didn't he want to finish? Did he not like touching her? She was enjoying his hands. He must have seen the look on her face. "I'm letting the conditioner soak into your hair before I rinse it out. Make it easier to brush it." Rick explains.

"Is the water getting cold?" She had been in here for a little while now.

Kate/Baby nodded her head. "A little." That got Rick to smile at her for some reason. Did he want her to be cold?

Rick however was smiling because he got her to say more than a single word as an answer. Maybe he was making progress.

Then he reached up and rinsed out her hair again. "Don't move." Rick reached down behind her and pulled the plug and the water started to go down.

Rick stood up and flipped a large towel over his back. "Let's see if we can get you standing and get you dry again before you catch a cold." Rick lifts her up with his eyes shut tight. Then wraps the towel around her and starts rubbing her dry.

"Can you step out of the tub for me?" Then Rick rubs her legs dry still with his eyes closed.

"There, now sit for me." And works at getting her to sit on the toilet and tries to cover her with still another towel.

"Don't move, I'm going to go get some of your clothes." And Rick fumbles with the door handle getting the door open and closes it behind him.

Kate/Baby still didn't understand why he didn't want to see her naked. Then she saw the full length mirror on the back of the door.

Curious she stood up and used the lavatory to help support herself till she was in front of the mirror.

Kate/Baby slapped both of her hands over her mouth to keep from crying out. SHE WAS UGLY!

There were marks all over her body. Along with some black and yellow places. She twisted to try and see her back. They were there too.

No wonder he didn't want to look at her. She was ugly. HIDIOUS even. Her eyes were sunken and had dark circles under them. Her breasts were thin and had light scratches on them. She couldn't even see the area between her legs for all the hair.

Tears started rolling down her face. She wanted the room to be dark again so she didn't have to see herself. Was this why her 'boyfriend' wouldn't bring her a mirror? He knew she was ugly. Was that why he raped her and then left her?

Kate/Baby's body started to shake as she started to cry, not bothering to try and wipe the tears away. The look of her crying only made her look even more ugly.

Suddenly the door flew open and Rick was standing in it with an arm full of clothes. "What's wrong? … Wooh." Rick quickly twisted so he was facing away from her.

Finding her standing there naked just inside the door was not what he was expecting.

"I'm UGLY!" Kate/Baby sobbed out thru the tears.

Rick quickly spun back around and stepped in close and wrapped his arms around her. "No, no. You're not ugly. You're just injured is all. We're working on making you feel better and look better. We can fix all this, it's just going to take a little time. That's all" Rick tried to soothe her and started rubbing circles on her back.

Rick could feel her body quacking under the crying. Rick pulled back just a little so he could look her in the eyes. "YOU ARE NOT UGLY! …. Are you listening?" Rick searched her eyes. "If you'll let me I can fix all this. You just have to trust me. It's going to take time. Under all of this is a very beautiful woman. We just have to work at getting you and everyone else to see that.

You need to let me help you." Rick pleads with her. "You think you can let me help you?" Rick searched her eyes. "You are a gorgeous young woman and I'm going to prove it. You just have to let me help you." Rick gives her a quick kiss to the lips to emphasize his point.

"Please! … Let me help you." Rick tries again since the crying seems to be slowing down.

Kate/Baby nods her head. She didn't want to be ugly.

Rick goes back to holding her tight. "You'll be gorgeous, I promise. Just give me some time." Rick holds her close for a minute.

"Let's get some clothes on you and then we can brush out your hair." Rick does not look away this time or close his eyes. He needed her to trust him. Rick was willing to look past the bruises and marks on her body.

He did his best to see the after picture in his head while he helped her put her panties, yoga pants, sports bra and t-shirt on her. This time with his eyes wide open.

Then he sat her of the toilet again while he brushed out her hair until it was tangle free. Then helped her walk back to the bedroom only this time he didn't tuck her into bed as tight.

"Get some sleep and I'll wake you when it is time for lunch." Then kissed her on her forehead and went back upstairs. This time leaving the bedroom door open.


	10. Chapter 10

**CH10**

Kate/Baby wasn't awake again until nearly dinner. "Hello."

A moment later Rick showed up in the doorway. "Hi, you were sleeping at lunch so I let you sleep, thinking you probably needed it." Rick moved into the room. "I see you like triscuit crackers and apple juice. Ready for dinner?" Rick hadn't started it yet though.

Kate/Baby nodded her head and then raised her arms. "Help me up?" Kate suddenly didn't want to eat alone. She had been alone for a long time now and he wanted her to trust him. Did he trust her enough to let her see more than this room.

"There are a lot of stairs to go up to get to the dining room table. How much pain do you have now? This might hurt and be tiring." Rick needed to warn her.

Kate/Baby kept her arms raised. "Ok, I'm willing to give it a try." Rick helped her up and then helped her over to the stairs.

Rick stopped and let her look up the stairs. "Still want to try it?" Getting a nod of her head as a response. "O-kay, …. here we go."

It was slower than Rick or Alexis took the stairs and it was done one step at a time, but they were finally up and Kate/Baby was breathing a little heavy.

"**WOW!"** As Kate/Baby looked around and out the windows at the top of the stairs.

"Like it? The view from the roof is even better. It's still more stairs if you want to try. It's not dark yet but sunset will happen in a few minutes. You can see the lights of the city pretty good at night. It doesn't get too cold at night yet. Maybe in a couple of months." Rick looked at her to see what she wanted to do.

Kate/Baby twisted and saw the next set of stairs going up and they were just as long.

Kate/Baby had been outside but only when it was dark, she hated the bright lights of daylight. He said it would be dark soon. Kate/Baby took a step on the stairs leading up.

"Feeling adventurous are we? …. Let's go then." And Rick takes it one step at a time till they reach the roof.

There were 2 decks on the roof separated by a bridge between the two.

The first deck held a BBQ location along with a table that could seat 6. The deck itself along with the other one had two shades of maintenance free composite decking. The decking was installed at an angle with a dividing board down the middle.

The edge board and the one in the middle were darker than the rest of the deck. There were steel skinny posts in each corner and there was a retractable cloth cover overhead that was presently drawn back leaving it open.

The other deck was similar except it had 3 chaise lounges, 2 chairs and a really small table between them. There was also a really small kiddy pool that had water in it.

There was a railing on all sides including where the bridge between the two was located. The vertical supports were made of metal while the panels between them were made of clear Plexiglass. The glass allowed an uninterrupted view of everything around them.

Rick guided her over to one of the chairs at the table and helped her sit. "I'm going to go get your pills. I'll be right back, don't move." And Rick kissed the top of her head and ran down the stairs.

Kate/Baby looked around. She could see the water of the harbor. The dock they were tied up to extended even further out into the bay. She could also see a lot of the buildings of New York. It wasn't dark, dark yet but she could see the lights of the buildings already.

Rick was soon back with Alexis right behind him. Rick placed the glass of water on the table. "Here are your pain pills." Rick waits for her to drink them down. "This is your anti-biotic pill." Then waits for her to drink that down. "And this is your vitamin gummy.

Since I've got you up here we might as well eat dinner up here. How about BBQ chicken on the grill?" Rick offers.

Kate/Baby turns to look at the BBQ. The last one she can remember was the first one at the house where her world changed.

"I've got corn on the cob that can go on it too, along with a baked potato. We can start with a chicken salad. Put some of the chicken in it, some bacon, cheese, and strawberries. Wash it all down with some lemonade." Rick offers.

It sounded different than anything Kate/Baby could remember. It wasn't anything like the food from the grill from last time. It eased her mind over that. "Sure!"

"Excellent, …. we need some strawberries pumpkin." Rick asks of her.

"Ok daddy." And Alexis works her way back down the stairs. Rick steps over to the grill and fires it up since it is propane fired.

"Be right back." Rick kisses the top of her head and runs down the stairs.

Kate/Baby is left to herself and her thoughts.

She's out of the bedroom, she's obviously out on water somehow. The deck up here is large. Both of them actually. He's been kissing her lately. Well not really kissing her, except for that quick peck on the lips in the bathroom. He didn't get rid of her after he saw how ugly she is. And he doesn't treat her anything like her 'boyfriend'.

He said he was her 'boyfriend', but was he?

It was dark outside before Rick returned and then he pressed something she hadn't seen earlier and the entire deck area lit up with these little lights all over. They were built into the floor of the deck, the bridge and there were small lights hanging from one side of the rod overhead that the retractable cloth roof was attached to. It gave everything a soft glow. Then Rick went over to the grill and put the baked potato's on along with the corn on the cob. Both of which were all wrapped up. Then he put the chicken on and lathered them with BBQ sauce.

Kate/Baby was still looking at all the lights of the deck and the lights of all the buildings behind her, since her chair was facing out into the harbor.

It was all outside and she was feeling a little exposed and yet it was still dark out which was helping. "What is this place?" Kate/Baby decided to ask him.

"Out there is New York Harbor. If you mean what you are on, this is an old 1907 Ellis Island Ferry that has been converted to a single family home. It used to be used to transfer people across the harbor.

The engines are long gone now. We are permanently tied up to the dock. The dock came with the house when I bought it not quite 2 years ago. Alexis has grown up here.

It may not be perfect for her, there are no friends that live anywhere close to here. However she can ride her tricycle out on the dock area without me worrying that some low life will come along and snatch her up.

I've drummed into her how dangerous it is to go over the side of the dock. I don't even let her stand near the edge. It's partly why this deck has a railing, to keep her from falling over the side. The dock is just too big to put another railing all the way around it.

It's made of Plexiglas because I didn't want to block the view." Rick explains.

"It looks, … big." Kate/Baby comments having only seen a small portion of it.

"It is. … Probably more than I needed, but it was just so unique I couldn't pass it up. It doesn't look ultra-modern and yet a lot of the systems in it are. It's quite the blend of the two.

I'd be happy to give you a tour when you're up to it. You can tell me what you think of it after." Rick really was interested in what she thought.

"**CASTLE!"** Someone yelled out.

Rick moved over to the edge. "Hi Lanie, be right down." Rick went back to the grill and turned down the heat under the chicken. "I'll send Alexis up to keep you company." And Rick runs down the stairs.

"Here pumpkin, can you take the salad bowl upstairs and stay with, …. Baby." Rick really needed to give her a new name. Baby sounded, …. It just wan't her.

Then Rick went into the dining room to meet Lanie. "Hi Lanie, we're up on the deck cooking dinner. You're welcome to stay if you want." Rick was more than willing to let her stay.

"Thanks but I have a date tonight." Lanie had plans and actually couldn't stay long.

"A date! Really! Anyone I know?" Rick was more than willing to make her squirm and dig for information.

"I go out on dates I'll have you know. I don't sit at home all day like someone I know." Lanie gives better than she gets.

"I work from home, give me a break." Rick moans.

"Uh huh, says the man in a million dollar boat." Lanie piles it on since Rick started it.

"Actually it was more than a million." Rick scrunches his face.

"That's right Rick rub it in. … I came by to tell you I finished her blood test." Lanie tells him.

"And you couldn't call me with the results, not that I'm not happy to see you. You can come over any time, you know that." Lanie was a friend, the best one he had.

"I know Rick, I know, and I'd stay if I didn't already have plans. But back to your guest.

She's strung out on heroin Rick. It has done a real number on her system. The amounts I saw, she's a heavy user. Her blood work is all screwed up. I'm willing to bet she has memory loss too." Lanie explains.

"Has she told you anything about herself?" Lanie tries to make her point.

"She said her name was , … baby." Rick deflated understanding better now why she said it.

"I'll be a month's pay that's the only name she knows. Has she started asking you for something? She's going to feel the need for her next fix pretty soon if she hasn't, based on the amount of damage. It also explains why her body looks the way it does." Lanie had given her a complete physical while she was out.

"Yeah, I was hoping it was from the building try to crush her." Rick whispered out.

"That would help explain the bruises, but not the rest of it. She's an addict Rick, a heavy addict. … Where's Alexis?" Lanie was concerned.

"Up on the roof with her." Rick scrunches his face and tries to plug his ears.

"Your baby is up there alone with, …. with Baby?" Lanie was ready to slap him.

"She hasn't done or said a thing Lanie. Nothing to indicate that she is violent." Rick defends her and him.

"When she doesn't get what she wants and she's going to want it soon, she's going to go into withdrawals. You know what that's like Rick. She will literally crawl out of here on her stomach buck naked to go get what she wants.

You need to keep Alexis away from her Rick. If she stays here, it's going to get ugly, really ugly." Lanie tries to shock him into getting rid of her.

"I'll deal with it when the time comes Lanie. I promised I was going to help her and I'm going to do just that." Rick stands his ground. He promised.

Lanie lets out a heavy sigh. "Somehow I knew you were going to say that. … Here, I brought you some crème for those areas that are not bruises and these are more anti-biotics. They should last you the week. I'll try and bring you some more of both in a week.

Use the crème twice a day if you can, which is going to be hard when she is deep into her withdrawals, and keep using the anti-biotics just like you have been. Neither of them will help with the withdrawals. There is something that could help but I don't have access to it, so you and her are going to have to do this the hard way.

And trust me getting her through what is coming cold turkey is not going to be pretty." Lanie is convinced he's gone mad, but is even more amazed by him.

"Thanks Lanie, you're a good friend." Rick meant it too.

"You just be careful Rick. If she hurts that beautiful little girl I'm going to kill the both of you." Lanie threatens him, and his guest.

"I'll be careful, thanks for coming. I'll let you get to your date. I hope you have fun on it." Rick escorts her to the stairs leading to the dock.

"I'll be back in a week and I'm going to call you tomorrow, she's likely going to want her fix by then if she doesn't already. You be careful Rick." And Lanie leaves him.

Rick goes back to the kitchen filled with more information than he did have. Picking up some plates, silverware, and glasses and heads back up to the roof.

He caught the two of them picking berries out of the salad. "I take it you two are hungry." Rick has them both red handed.

Alexis looks guilty while Kate/Baby responds with a. "Yes, what's cooking smells good." Kate/Baby could feel her stomach grumbling.

Rick moves over to the grill and lathers on some more BBQ after turning the chicken, knowing that the potato and corn were nowhere near ready yet.

Rick moves over to Kate/Baby and places a hand on her shoulder. "Are you feeling alright?" Not seeing anything Lanie had mentioned.

"Fine." Kate/Baby replies placing another strawberry in her mouth.

"Are there any of those left?" Rick peeks into the bowl, seeing only 2 or 3 left.

"Sorry." Kate/Baby puts her hands in her lap.

"It's ok, I'm just glad you have an appetite." Rick sits in the chair next to her.

"Did nana leave." Alexis asks him. She liked Lanie.

"Lanie had a date so she couldn't stay. She stayed just long enough to drop off some more medicine for, …." Rick paused.

"We need a better name for you, I can't keep calling you baby. You look and feel nothing like a baby. If you don't want us to know your real name, make one up. But baby is out." Rick asks of her.

Kate/Baby was confused, Baby was her name. He didn't like it? She didn't know any other names.

"Can we get a Cat daddy?" Alexis tries another animal.

"Pumpkin we talked about this already. You're not old enough for a pet. … She asked for a dog first. We just don't really have anywhere to walk the dog and she's not old enough to have a dog." Rick explains.

"Wait, we can call you Kat, only with a K instead of a C. What do you think pumpkin?" If Alexis was in they could both work on Kate/Baby to accept it. At least until they had her real name.

Alexis was grinning and nodding her head. "Kat it is. … Don't worry, it'll grow on you." Rick stood up and kissed the top of Kate/Baby's head and lathered up the chicken with more BBQ sauce.

"We need some lemonade as promised. Be right back." Rick goes down to the kitchen.

Kate/Baby looks at Alexis. "Kat?"

"You are too big to be a baby. I was a baby when I was little, now I'm a big girl." Alexis proclaims, not understanding that she just made the name Baby a derogatory term.

"OH!" Kate/Baby comments. Her 'boyfriend' had raped her, left her and had been insulting her all this time. So if Baby was a fake name, what was her name?

Rick eventually arrived with a pitcher filled with a light yellow substance with bits of a clear substance in it. Kate/Kat watched him pour some out into three glasses and then drink half of it and go back to the grill to put more BBQ on the chicken.

Kate/Kat turns to Alexis who has a really small glass that she is holding and sipping her lemonade out of it. So she decides to try it.

Kate/Kat's eyes go wide, it had a unique taste and it felt, … refreshing. The next drink she drank it all and poured out some more into her glass.

"Foods ready." Rick announces and takes the plates from the table and puts one of everything on each plate. "Be right back." Rick runs down the stairs and is back quickly.

"Butter and salt for the corn, and butter and sour cream for the baked potato." Rick proceeded to cut up the chicken for Alexis, then butter and salt her corn and cut open her potato and smother it with butter. Just like she likes it.

Kate/Kat watched him do Alexis's and did her's the exact same way and watched Alexis eat it. Only then did she try it.

Alexis was soon giggling. Rick leaned over and wiped Kate/Kat's mouth with a piece of paper towel. "Hungry?" Rick chuckled since Kate/Kat was eating quickly and making a mess of her face.

"It's good." Kate/Kat mumbles out with her mouth full while stuffing in another piece of chicken.

Kate/Kate was done first and sat and watched the others eat. Alexis was slowing down and watched Alexis push what she didn't finish over to her.

When Kate/Kat was done eating hers and what Alexis didn't want. "Anyone save room for homemade ice cream?" Rick asks, getting Alexis to nod her head enthusiastically.

"Help me get the bowls and spoons?" Rick asked her. And Alexis was up in a flash and working her way downstairs.

"We'll be right back." Rick gets up and kisses the top of her head again and goes downstairs.

Alexis is soon back with a bowl and a spoon in both her hands. Kate/Kat takes a peek and sees something soft and pink in color.

Rick is soon right behind her with two bowls and two spoons. "Homemade peppermint ice cream."

Kate/Kat takes a tiny amount to test it and is soon scooping large spoon fulls. "Go slower Kat, or you'll get brain freeze." Rick chuckles out.

Kate/Kat slows down and eats it like Alexis is eating hers.

Once they were done they just sat around looking at all the city lights.

"It's past your bedtime pumpkin." Rick points out. He had let her stay up late to spend a good time eating on the deck with Kat.

"Go wash, brush your teeth and get ready for bed and I'll be there in a minute." Rick tells her.

"Night Kat." Alexis stops at Kate/Kat.

"Night." Kate/Kat stops with that, not sure she should use her name or pumpkin that Rick keeps calling her.

"You want to stay up or go to sleep?" Rick asks Kate/Kat.

Kate/Kat isn't sure, she had already had a long day. "Sleep."

"Come on then, I'll clean this mess up later." Rick escorts her down the stairs, slowly.

"You'll find a toothbrush, toothpaste and such in the cabinet on the wall. I'll be right back." Rick heads down the hall to Alexis's bedroom.

Alexis was all ready for him and waiting. "Is Kat staying daddy?"

"Do you want her to stay?" Rick counters. He didn't want to force this on her.

"She's nice daddy. … Is Kat still sick?" Alexis thought she might be since her face didn't look good.

"Yes she is pumpkin, but we're going to help her aren't we?" Rick offers to let her help. His daughter needed to feel like a part of it.

It got Alexis to nod her head in response. "Good night pumpkin, I love you." And bends down to kiss her forehead.

"Night daddy, luv you too." Alexis settles down under the covers and grabs her stuffed animal.

Rick has made it back to the other bathroom and watches Kate/Kat gargle and spit it out and stare into the mirror above the sink.

"Ready?" Rick asks softly. It still make Kate/Kat jump a little.

Rick helps her into the bedroom and helps her remove all her clothes. "Need to pee?"

Getting Kate/Kat to shake her head. "Let's get you into bed then." However Rick doesn't cover her up and tuck her in.

Instead he pulls out a tube and squeezes some on his fingers. "This stuff is supposed to help heal your skin." And Rick starts rubbing it onto some of the areas all over her body.

Then Rick covers her up and tucks her in. Kissing her forehead like he did Alexis. "Night Kat."

"Night." Watching Rick turn out the light and leave the door open.


	11. Chapter 11

**CH11**

It was now 2 days later:

They had established a bit of a routine. Rick fed her breakfast in bed, gave Kate/Kat her pills and then let her rest in bed till lunch. Then help her up the stairs to the roof deck again.

They never stayed up here for long. Kate/Kat just wasn't use to having the sun shining down on her and after an hour or two it became too much. So back down to the bedroom they went.

Dinner was served in her room with still more pills. Each night and first thing in the morning Rick would rub the cream on certain sections of her skin.

Last night had been her second bath and Kate/Kat was beginning to feel different about herself. She was still ugly in her eyes, even though when she started getting tears over what she looked like, Rick would swoop in and remind her that all that was going to change.

Just let him, them, help her. It wasn't going to happen overnight. But the pills, cream, better food and some sunshine would slowly change all that.

What Kate/Kat hadn't noticed yet was that she hadn't smoked a cigarette yet. The need to have one hadn't reared its ugly head. All that changed when she woke this morning.

It was weird enough that she was sleeping during the night and up when the sun was up. It was the exact opposite of what she was used to. However it was Rick that was the cause of this. He kept her up and awake during the day so that she could only sleep at night.

Kate woke up and worked at blinking her eyes open. Someone had opened the blinds on the window, so Kate/Kat was squinting till she adjusted. Turning her head she came face to face with a set of blue eyes with orange hair. "Hi!" Alexis smiled at her.

Kate/Kat grinned, she was getting used to having these two around. "Hi." Kate/Kat felt warm for some reason. It had been warm last night and rather hot during the day. Rick had turned on all of the window AC units upstairs, but Kate/Kat had spent most of her time down in her room.

Rick had brought in a small fan to help move the air around since none of the bedrooms had no AC units.

This was only the second time Kate/Kat had woken to find Alexis staring her in the face. "How are you?" Kate/Kat asked her.

"Fine, …. daddy is with someone. He told me to go see you." Alexis suddenly provides.

"Someone?" Kate/Kat asks her. Watching her nod her head.

"Who?" Kate/Kat tries again. Only to see her shrug her shoulders. She didn't know.

"Are you still sick?" Alexis suddenly asks her.

Sick? Kate/Kat knew she was ugly, was that being sick? Was her ugliness because she was sick? She did feel the need to smoke a cigarette. The last one had been a few days ago. Kate/Kat felt a little shaky and was sweating a little. Maybe it was the heat. It had not cooled off much last night.

"You look sick." Alexis in her innocence tells her, then reaches out to touch her forehead like her dad does to her. "You are hot, …. and wet."

Now Alexis was conflicted. Her new friend was sick, but her dad hold told her to come down here and keep Kate/Kat company and to stay there. … but she was sick.

Alexis was spared making a decision when her father showed up. "You're awake, good. We need to get you up and out of your room. I ordered a number of window AC units for the bedrooms, like the ones up stairs about a month ago.

We suffered through the summer last year, but it's gotten hot and they chose today to show up and install them. We're going to do your room first, since you spend most of your time in it.

So let's get you up and into the bathroom where you can change your clothes. Oh I ordered some more clothes for you too. They'll show up later today." Rick started working on getting Kate/Kat out of bed.

Rick moved her into the bathroom and sat her on the toilet. "I'll go get your clothes to change into." Rick was gone and back in a flash with clothes and the cream.

Off came her clothes and on went the cream followed by the fresh change of clothes. "Now we need to get you upstairs and comfortable while I watch them install the units." Rick helps her up the stairs and into the living room.

"**WOW!"** Escapes Kate/Kat's lips as she steps into the living room for the first time. The room was huge and it was packed with windows on both sides.

There was seating and a massive amount of toys on the far end. Kate/Kat could feel the temperature difference. She could also hear the units blowing so the space was a little loud and it looked like there were six of them. Three on each side.

Rick sat her down on the sofa that was a really soft and cool feeling leather and she sank into the sofa. "Be right back." And Rick walked away quickly. "Stay here pumpkin." Rick tells Alexis as she walks in behind them.

Rick is soon back with a pitcher of lemonade, two glasses and her pills. "You should be good here. Pumpkin, I need for you to stay here and play. I'll be downstairs. Lunch may be late depending on how long this takes.

I'll be downstairs." Rick kisses Alexis's forehead and then Kate/Kats and disappears.

Alexis headed for her toys while Kate/Kat was left to her thoughts.

He was feeding her, buying her more clothes, he's still kissing her, he's not turning away from her naked body. Even though she still sees herself as ugly. He covers her in cream twice a day and he just left her alone with his little girl.

He was nothing like her 'boyfriend' who she was no longer sure was ever her 'boyfriend'.

Kate/Kat twisted in the sofa to see Alexis playing. A kind of pale skin body with really orange hair. So small, so sweet and so trusting. Then a tremor went through Kate/Kat's body. She wanted a cigarette.

She didn't have one so she tried lemonade instead. Kate/Kat still loved the taste, but it wasn't a cigarette. And the sun was out and she was up again during the day. She would ask for one and smoke it in her room tonight.

Rick meanwhile was downstairs watching two guys haul in window AC units in boxes, unpack them and put them in the windows.

However since none of the windows in this 1907 ferry are standard windows, one of them left to go get needed supplies so they could seal the space properly.

They were still at it come lunch time so Rick fed the two workers lunch in the dining room as thanks for all the extra hard work while he fed Kate/Kat, Alexis and himself in the living room.

"Are you coming down with something?" Rick asks Kate/Kat and places a hand on her forehead. "You're sweating, I'm getting the thermometer." And Rick is gone before Kate/Kat can get a word in.

Rick is back in a flash and trying to shove something down her throat, then lets go and waits.

Kate/Kat however takes it out. "I'm fine, I just need, …." But gets interrupted by Rick.

"Leave it in, it's not done. I can't have you getting sick on me with Alexis around." And Rick takes it back from her and shoves it in her mouth again. Then sits there glaring at her.

Kate/Kat sits there dejected and waits staring at him. She was pissed, but he had said Alexis not wanting to get sick, so she just sat there.

It soon went beep and Rick took it out. "It's a little above normal, but not by that much." Rick puts the back of his hand back on her forehead. "How do you feel?" Rick looked worried and it was getting to Kate/Kat.

No one had worried about her before. He didn't even know her, why did he care?

"I'm fine, I just need a cigarette." Kate/Kat tells him the truth. Maybe he would get her one. She would be fine after that.

"A cigarette. … No one here smokes. Those things are bad for you. You'll get lung cancer and die from cancer. They damage your lungs causing you to have trouble breathing. The turn your teeth yellow and you have a lovely white smile.

No, no cigarettes. I'm going to help you get better. Not die from cancer." Rick wasn't doing that to her or let her do it to herself.

Kate/Kat's eyes went wide. No cigarettes!? She was going to need one soon.

If he wouldn't give or get her one, she knew where to get them. Or maybe she could find them at her home. Just that this home was nicer. Maybe go out tonight, back to her home and then come back.

Maybe once he saw that she needed them he would get them for her.

Rick went back to watching the men put the window AC units in for the bedrooms, watched them test each one to make sure they worked, then thanked them for the installation, gave them each a tip and escorted them off the boat.

SPT 12000 BTU Window Air Conditioner WA-1211S. This unit went in all of the bedrooms except the one Kate/Kat was using.

That room was smaller so a SPT 8000 BTU Window Air Conditioner WA-8011S unit was used instead.

At $300 and $200 each, respectively, they were relatively inexpensive. Most of the cost was having two guys install them for his weird windows. Still everyone could sleep tonight and not lay in bed baking.

The units in the dining room were presently not running since that room was not likely to see any use in the immediate future.

Rick had everyone back up on the roof deck for dinner tonight while he cooked on the grill again.

Kate/Kat was learning to like eating up here. It was dark, yet there were all those lights in the distance on one side and lots of water on the other.

It was a pizza cooked on the grill. Onions, asparagus, sun dried tomatoes, fontina cheese, oregano leaves, ground black pepper on pizza dough.

It only took a few short minutes and Alexis had her one large slice gone in a heart beat. "She's turning into a vegetarian on me." Rick explains.

It was like nothing Kate/Kat had eaten before. She had been eating nothing but fruits and vegetables out of those large containers for a while now. Having them cooked seemed to bring out a new taste for her to enjoy.

"This is good, …." Kate/Kat stumbled over his name. To be honest she hadn't been listening. Never thinking that she would still be here.

Rick looked at her funny, he had told her his name. Hadn't he? His daughter only called him daddy. "Castle, Richard Castle. Or just Rick for short."

"Thanks, … Castle." Kate/Kat tried.

Rick thought about it. "Castle will work, … for now. And it didn't used to taste this good. Did it pumpkin?"

Alexis started shaking her head. "Daddy was bad." Meaning his cooking skills sucked.

"I was trying some things that I thought or read were good for her to be eating. You should see some of the recipes for some of them. The ingredient list was HUGE!" Rick spread his arms wide, just to prove it.

"How do they expect people to make some of these things. You need to be a rocket scientist for some of them. Cook this and put it aside. Slice this, dice that. Brown it on both sides before putting it in the oven. Then sprinkle this on it while it cools for the next 5 minutes before serving it.

And pomegranate molasses? Seriously! Who ever heard of pomegranate molasses? Have you ever tried to find pomegranate molasses? This may be New York, but seriously!?

That was when I switched to things that were a lot more simple. Of course I burnt the first time I tried this pizza. Who knew it only took a few minutes to cook a pizza. I mean when you order a pizza at a restaurant it takes them 30 to 45 minutes to deliver it." Rick moans.

"FIRE!" Alexis lifts her hands up into the air.

"Who's side are you on pumpkin?" Rick tried to sound mad at her, but his smile gave him away.

It got Kate/Kat to chuckle, imagining Rick trying to deal with a fire on the grill.

"You too?" Rick tried to look hurt. Rick arched his back and tried to reach behind his back. "Someone pull the knife out of my back. It hurts."

Alexis however rubbed it in, not really meaning to. "Eyebrows." Alexis rubbed hers.

Rick glared at Alexis. His own daughter! Then he noticed the questioning look on Kate/Kat.

"I burnt my eyebrows off when it went up in flames." Getting Alexis to giggle. Kate/Kat soon followed.

"Hey, don't forget who feeds you pumpkin. I have stories about you too you know. … How about that time when you were naked and had broken away from me and was pooping diarrhea across the floor as you ran." Rick offered payback.

"**DADDY!"** Alexis glared at him.

"Truce?" Rick offered.

Alexis thought about it. No more stories about her dad and his cooking skills. "Tuce."

It got Kate/Kat to chuckle at these two again. Then she shook from the need for a cigarette. Kate/Kat hoped he left the bedroom door open again so she could sneak out and get some.

She knew she would have to be silent about it since he was still using the baby monitor.

"Ice cream on a hot night?" Rick offers.

That got Alexis to nod her head enthusiastically and got Kate/Kat to suddenly snap her head up to look at him.

"I'll take that as a yes." Rick got up and started for the stairs. "Coming pumpkin?" Rick headed down the stairs with Alexis hot on his heels.

It had just gotten dark and the three of them were just sitting on the deck looking at the lights and listening to the sounds.

"**CASTLE?"** Someone yells out from below.

Rick got up to look. "Come on up Lanie." Who is soon up on the roof deck.

"This is Lanie. Lanie this is Kat. … Lanie is the one who has been leaving behind the pills and the cream I've been using." Rick isn't sure Kat has been awake when Lanie has been here.

Lanie sits at one of the chairs. "Is there any of that left." Lanie points to the empty ice cream bowls that were still up here.

"There is. Be right back." Rick hops up and heads down the stairs.

"Alexis honey can you bring up a glass of water too? Just a little one please." Lanie asks her.

"Ok nana." And Alexis is soon gone.

"Kat huh? … I brought you something you can probably use." Lanie places the small box on the table.

OrganYc tampons. "I presume you know what to do with these." Lanie really didn't want to have to explain it to a grown woman. There were 14 in the box.

"Yes." Kate/Kat picks up the box. Not that she remembered when her last period had taken place.

"I know you are strung out on heroin. Since I didn't see any track marks I'm guessing you don't use needles, so you likely smoke it. Most young kids do these days." Lanie confides what she knows.

"Rick isn't going to go get you any either. Considering how much I found in your system, I'm betting you want one about now. It'll only get worse tomorrow and the day after and the day after that." Lanie pauses.

"I don't know what Rick sees in you, but he's a very kind and gentle soul and I don't want to see you hurting him or his daughter. They both mean a lot to me. Those two are the best friends I have in this city.

You hurt either of them I will bury you and I know just what to do with your body." Lanie looks mean and glares at Kate/Kat and if looks could kill, ….

"You've got two choices, … Kat. … You can run away tonight after they are all asleep and never come back and go kill yourself smoking your heroin and turning tricks to pay for them, and some day end up on my slab in the morgue. And I won't shed a tear for you.

**OR**, you can help them help you kick the habit and become the person you were before you started smoking. I have no doubt that Rick is only too willing to help you do just that.

Not that I'm sure that he knows what he is getting himself into, not really.

It is going to be painful for you during this time, very painful. You are going to feel like you are losing your mind and that you can't survive it. But you will if you let them.

Think it over, … Kat." And Lanie gets up and goes downstairs.

"I'm going home Rick, you be careful with her. She's going to start having withdrawals soon and if she hurts your little girl, I'm going to hurt you. Both of you.

I left some more anti-biotics and more cream on the dining room table.

You be careful Rick." And Lanies storms off. She was so mad at him, but she was going to help him.

Lanie, Rick and Alexis were gone leaving Kate/Kat alone with her thoughts again.

Was she right? She knew she wanted a cigarette and would want one even more tomorrow if she didn't go out and find one tonight. But was she also right about it would kill her? And did she care if it did?

Kate/Kat didn't get any further into her thinking because Rick and Alexis showed up.

"Lanie left some more pills and cream for you. … I see she also brought you something else. You might want to use one of those tonight just in case. At least until we get a handle on when your cycle is." Rick tells her.

"And it's past your bedtime pumpkin. Go get washed and brush your teeth, and I'll be there to tuck you in and turn on the AC unit so you can sleep." Rick tells her.

Alexis gets back up reluctantly. "Night Kat." And Alexis hugs her, and then heads downstairs.

"She seems to like you." Rick comments and then gets up to follow Alexis. "I'll be back in a few minutes." And Rick kisses the top of her head and heads downstairs.

Now Kate/Kat was really confused. Alexis, Rick, Lanie and her cigarettes.

Kate/Kat was still trying to figure it all out when Rick came back. "You look tired and you still look like your sweating. Let's get you to bed. Tomorrow will be better." Rick starts to help her up and then helps her down two level of stairs.

Once in her bedroom, he helps her strip, then apply the cream. After that came an oversized t-shirt.

"Good night Kat, we'll see you in the morning." Then his kisses her forehead. And turns on the AC unit on his way out and closes the door to keep the cold air in the room.

Kate a few minutes later puts one of the tampons to use and lays back down.

What to do, what to do? She wanted the cigarette. Was Lanie right? Would she hurt Alexis because of her need for a cigarette?

It was late and Kate/Kat had made up her mind and started to try and get up so she could disappear and go looking for her cigarette.

Kate/Kat started to try and get up but found that her legs wouldn't cooperate. She couldn't move her legs.

SHE COULDN'T MOVE HER LEGS!

Kate/Kat was suddenly panicked. If she couldn't get up she couldn't leave! She couldn't go get her cigarette. She couldn't stay and risk hurting Alexis or Castle. She had to leave.

Still nothing. Her legs wouldn't move! **"HELP! …. PLEASE HELP!" **Kate/ Kat started crying.

What Kate couldn't hear. "Interference with hosts motor skills is partially successful. Estimate that the interference will not last long. Host will recover soon. Monitoring of hosts short term memory has been beneficial. Host must recover to complete mission. Revising blood cleansing and neurons in the brain that infer dependency on the foreign substance has now been made a priority. All other repairs have now been made a secondary concern.

Analyzing implications of this action.

Analysis complete. Damage to organs will be fractionally greater. Time estimate to completion is unchanged. Mission must resume."


	12. Chapter 12

**CH12**

Rick came charging down the hallway from the far end at the bow where his bedroom was to the stern where her bedroom was located.

"What's wrong?" Rick gets out while wearing only some long legged sleeping shorts. Alexis was soon right behind him.

"I can't move my legs!" Kate/Kat is still crying over her predicament.

"What do you mean you can't move your legs? You walked down her from the roof deck just a few hours ago." Rick didn't understand.

"They won't move." Kate/Kat was slowly stopping from crying but her tears were still out in force and rolling down her cheeks.

'Pumpkin go get a toothbrush out of the bathroom for me, please." Rick asks of her.

Alexis is soon back with Kate/Kat's toothbrush from the hall bathroom. "Thanks pumpkin." Rick takes it. "Can you feel this?" Rick asks her not touching the bottom of her foot with it.

"**NO!" **Kate/Kat was back to panicking, since she didn't feel a thing.

"How about now." This time Rick runs the not brush end up the bottom of her foot.

"YES!" Kate/Kat was suddenly happy.

Rick changes to the other foot and repeats it and Kate/Kat can feel that too.

"Ok, so you can feel things." Rick drops the toothbrush and takes her right foot in his hands and starts messaging it. "Can you feel this?"

"Yes." Kate/Kat answers and watches Rick message her foot. "Feels good actually." Kate/Kat was calming down considerably while Rick messaged her foot.

Rick started grinning and filed this reaction away for a later day.

Rick stopped messaging her foot. "Ok try wiggling your toes for me." Rick asks of her.

And Kate saw her toes wiggle when she willed them to. And a big smile was soon on her face.

"Ok, so you can feel and move your toes. So it's either limited or temporary. Which sounds like good news." Rick was happy for that. "Why were you trying to get out of bed?" Rick wanted to know what was going on. If she needed help getting to the bathroom to pee or something, she would have called out for it.

Kate/Kat however didn't answer.

Rick turns to look at Alexis. "You can go back to bed pumpkin. Kat is fine."

"Daddy?" Alexis wasn't sure. Kate/Kat had been yelling.

"Everything is fine pumpkin, now go back to bed. I'll be right there to tuck you in." Rick tells her.

Alexis looks at both of them, but turns and goes back to her room. Rick gets up and closes the door and goes back to stand over Kate/Kat.

"Now tell me, why were you trying to get out of bed?" Rick wanted answers.

"Castle, please." Kate/Kat didn't want to hurt him.

Rick kneeled down to the floor so his head was more level with hers. "Explain Kat, what were you thinking?" Rick searched her eyes. Finally noticing that she had green eyes that looked a little dull at the moment.

"I'm addicted Castle, I need a cigarette. Tomorrow will be worse and you aren't going to get me one, are you?" Kate/Kat looked at him and watched Rick shake his head no.

"I'm going to want one Castle. And I don't want to hurt you or Alexis to get one." Kate/Kat explains.

"So you decided to run away and go find one or buy one. Your old home is gone Kat and you don't have any money to buy one. What was your plan for that?" Rick didn't understand her.

"I can earn money." Kate/Kat knew what it took to get money.

"By selling yourself for sex?" Rick was now beyond mad at her. "Like hell Kat! That's not going to happen so get that out of your mind right now." Rick didn't believe her, how could she?

"Please Castle, you need to let me go. I can't hurt Alexis, … or you." Kate/Kat's tears were back.

"I promised I would help you. Help you feel better and I'm going to do just that. … You promised that you would let me help you. …. How could you do this?" Rick was mad at her.

"The going gets just a little bit tough and your first thought is to RUN? … Like hell Kat. I'll tie you down to the bed if I have to, but you're staying and you're going to keep your promise and let me help you.

You promised Kat and I'm holding you to it. You let me worry about my daughter and myself. … And you. I'm a big boy now, I can take it." Rick stands up and opens the door then comes back to Kate/Kat.

Rick works one arm under her legs and the other under her back. "What are you doing?" Kate/Kat didn't understand.

"I'm moving you to my bed for you to sleep with me so I can keep an eye on you. Even if you don't want to keep you're promise, I do. So I'm going to force you to keep yours.

You're going to go through withdrawals and I'm going to be there every step of the way, like it or not." Rick lifts and pulls her close to his chest.

One thing about her being too skinny, she was light in his arms and carried her down to his bedroom and placed her on his bed. Then went and closed the door to keep the cold air in the room.

Then Rick crawled into bed with her and worked at finding a good position that had her in his arms, so if she moved it would wake him.

"Now go to sleep, we'll work out how to deal with your addiction and the coming withdrawals tomorrow." Rick tells her and closes his eyes and can't help but breath her in since his nose was now buried against her bare skin.

Kate/Kat silently cried herself to sleep. No one had done for her what Castle was doing or had promised he was going to do. Her "boyfriend' would rape her but not hold her like this or fight to make her better.

Was this what a REAL boyfriend did? It was different and she kinda liked it, but she was worried about what was to come. It would kill her if she hurt Alexis because of her addiction.

Kate/Kat woke up in the morning still a little confused. About last night, about there being light in the bedroom instead of darkness, and especially about still being in Castle's arms.

Then she felt it. Kate/Kat had, had her period during the middle of the night, and she also had to pee.

Kate/Kat started to move, she needed to get up. That was when she noticed that her legs were moving.

HER LEGS WERE MOVING!

Kate/Kat worked at trying to get out of Castle's arms not sure she should wake him since her legs were moving again.

Finally she was free and was working on standing. Most of the pain was gone and she stood up relatively easily.

Kate/Kat moved to the door and opened it and saw a long hallway with windows on one side and a series of doors on the other.

She knew her bedroom was next to the only bathroom she knew about so she made her way down the hallway to her room to get a fresh tampon and then made it into the bathroom.

After doing everything she needed to, Kate/Kat turned on the water to fill the tub and went in search of the bottle she had seen Castle use last time. Then turned the water off and striped and got in and relaxed.

Eventually she grabbed the loofa and poured some body wash on it and started scrubbing. Then she saw Castle kneeling down on the floor looking at her.

"Hi." Rick grinned at her. "The bed was empty, you had me worried that you had escaped and run off like you wanted to last night." Kate/Kat could see the hurt in his eyes and knew that she had put that in them.

Kate/Kat reached a wet and bubbly hand out and ran her fingers down the side of his face, leaving a trail of bubbles. "You made me promise. … I'm still scared Castle. I don't want to hurt Alexis." Kate/Kat buried her hands back under the water.

"And we'll do everything we can to prevent it. But you are staying Kat. I am going to help you, so no more talk about running away. Got it?" Rick wanted her to see. "And not that I don't trust you, but you're sleeping with me from now on. I want to keep my eyes on you."

Kate/Kat grinned. "Ok." She had liked last night. After she had finished crying she had slept soundly, plus it felt good.

"Do you still want a cigarette?" Rick was curious.

"Yes, but I don't NEED one, but I do want one." Kate/Kat admitted, which in of itself was a big thing.

"How did you get down here? This is the other end of the boat." Rick was curious.

"Walked." Kate/Kat responded barely above a whisper.

Kate/Kat sees his eyes light up and she was soon swimming in that see of blue. "So your legs work again? … How was the pain?" Kate/Kat sees his eyes squint at her.

"There was a little pain, but not bad." Kate/Kat wasn't lying.

"I'm going to go get the baby monitor and move it in here. I'm going to go take a shower. Let me know when you are ready and I'll apply the cream. You're new clothes didn't show up last night, but they should be here today.

After breakfast I'll give you the tour so you know where everything is." Rick stood up and kissed the top of her head. "Oh, don't get out before I wash your hair." Rick was soon back with the baby monitor and then gone again.

It left Kate/Kat alone with her thoughts again. She did want a cigarette, but Lanie had said the need would get worse and worse. But it wasn't worse this morning. It wasn't gone, but it wasn't worse.

Maybe it would get worse later today. And Castle was worried about her. If felt, … different. But a nice kind of different.

The water was starting to get cold when Rick showed up wearing just his bed shorts again, and he washed her hair. "I've got Alexis in my tub taking a bath that I need to get back to." And Rick helped her out of the tub and started applying the cream.

"You want to try dressing yourself? I can get you your pills while you are." Rick offered.

"Sure." Kate/Kat was feeling better.

After Rick was gone and while she was still naked she went and stood in front of the full length mirror on the back of the door.

She still had bruises, she still had those marks that Castle was applying cream to. The marks on her breasts were mostly gone. She still looked really thin. Kate/Kat could make out her hip bones and some of her ribs.

Her face was thin but her eyes were brighter and the dark circles under her eyes were not as dark.

She was still ugly. What could Castle possibly see in her? But she liked being here. It was so much better than her last two homes. So was the food.

Kate/Kat was just finishing getting dressed and putting her shoes on when Castle came back with her pills. "Well look at you. All dressed and you did it yourself. Pretty soon you won't need me at all."

Kate/Kat was soon up and holding onto Castle. "No. … don't!" Kate/Kat didn't know why but that thought scared the crap out of her.

Rick places his hands on her shoulders and runs them down her arms. "I was just joking. Not remotely serious. I promised you I was going to help you and I'm keeping it. Come on, time for breakfast." And Rick escorted upstairs, watching her all the way up the stairs just in case.

"Where is Alexis?" Kate/Kat asked not finding her upstairs in the kitchen that was her first trip into and her eyes were open wide as she looked around.

"She's trying to find her shoes to slip on. She'll be up in a minute. … What do you think? Pretty cool huh?" Rick sweeps his hands around the kitchen.

Kate/Kat could only barely remember a couple of kitchens. The last one was long ago it seemed. "It's, … different."

"Different? That's all you've got? Different? This kitchen is way cool. Here look." And Rick opens the refrigerator. "See old school on the outside but state of the art inside. Same for the oven. Rustic shelves. It's way cool. Tell me you've ever seen another one like it." Rick challenges her.

Kate/Kat just shakes her head and she continues to take it all in.

"Thank you for coming in Mr. and Mrs. Beckett." The captain greets them.

"Have you found something?" Johanna asks him. She had her hopes up the second he had called.

"There was a house explosion some distance from the building we were told she was in last time. And since she wasn't there he didn't get his plea deal by the way.

We're still working on why the building exploded. There was no sign of it being a meth lab, …." He is interrupted by Jim.

"I'm sorry, meth lab?" Jim was after a better explanation.

"Most meth labs are home brew locations. The chemicals used to make it are highly volatile and dangerous and if you're not careful they will explode." The captain clarifies.

"I see." Jim responds and lets him continue.

"We've also ruled out the use of explosives or a gas leak. Frankly the inspection of the site is still underway so we have not reached any conclusions yet.

Do either of you recognize this?" And the captain slides over a clear sealed bag that has something in it.

Jim takes it off the desk and holds it up to look at it, then hands it to his wife who takes a close look at it. "It doesn't look like anything I've seen before. It's nice though." Johanna liked the look of it.

"What does this have to do with Katie?" Jim didn't understand.

"It was found at the house that exploded. We have identified it as part of the jewelry collection that was stolen from a house by the bikers your daughter was associated with." The captain explains.

"My god, are you telling us that her body was found in this house?" Johanna didn't want to believe it. He brought them out here to tell them her/their daughter was dead.

"No, actually no bodies were found in the house at all. The single owner was at work during the time. We have talked with him and are convinced he has no connection with your daughter.

We are still searching the area, but it appears that your daughter was hiding at or inside that house somehow. We're still trying to work that one out. The building was heavily damaged. The surrounding buildings all had debris from the explosion hit them.

The street it was on was closed due to the damage. In fact it is still closed." They were still picking up the pieces that were all over.

"Still closed." Johanna whispers out. "Where was this, exactly." Johanna asks him, starting to be afraid of the answer.

The captain pulls a paper out of his file and reads off the address. Johanna's tears start immediately and places a hand over her mouth.

"That address mean something to you?" He didn't understand. There was nothing in their file they had on these two that had anything to do with this location.

"Oh my god, oh my god. NO, … can't be." Johanna was having trouble breathing and Jim takes his wife in his arms.

"Mrs. Beckett?" The captain wanted to know what she knew.

"My wife's office isn't that far from that location." Jim explains.

"I drive right past that house twice a day. I had to find a new route when the road was closed. I, …. I drove right past my own daughter for almost a year." Johanna's tears only increased. "I drove right past her and never saw her." Johanna broke down and started crying in earnest.

"She was likely hidden away where you couldn't see." The captain tried to take away some of the grief. And she was exaggerating. It hadn't been a full year.

"I, … drove, … right, … past her." Johanna was having trouble taking breaths in.

This wasn't possible. IT WAS A NIGHTMARE. First they just miss her at one house and she drives right past her baby for weeks, months even at the next house.

It was more than Johanna could take. She just wanted her daughter back.


	13. Chapter 13

**CH13**

It was now 1 week later:

Kate/Kat felt herself waking up and started blinking her eyes open. With her eyes open and her mind catching up with her eyes, she came face to face with Castle's eyes that were wide open and staring at her.

Kate/Kat immediately started swimming in those blue eyes that were just inches away. "Hi." Rick whispers out, and she can feel his breathe on her lips that were even closer.

"Hi." Kate/Kat whispers back.

Ever since that one night when she had tried to run away, the night when Rick had carried her to his bed and slept with her with his arms around her. Rick had been doing the same thing for the last week.

Her clothes were still in the small bedroom at the far end of the boat. Castle had talked with her about moving them to this room, but she liked the idea of having her own room. Even if she didn't sleep in it anymore.

It hadn't made any sense to Rick, but he didn't fight her about it. She was right where he wanted her. Who cared where her clothes were.

Each morning Kate/Kat woke to find herself wrapped up in his arms, like he was afraid she was going to run on him. Just like this morning. Only difference to this morning was waking and finding him staring at her.

"How did you sleep?" Was Castle's next question.

Kate/Kat actually snuggled in a little closer and whispered."Fine." Into his lips. Still swimming in his blue eyes.

Actually she felt great, but wasn't going to tell him that. She was going to drown in those eyes soon and found that she couldn't care less.

"Still want a cigarette?" Castle asked her suddenly taking on a more serious look on his face.

It was because of this that Kate/Kat soon found herself only floating in his blue eyes hanging onto a life vest. "Yes, but not too badly." Kate/Kat had taken to telling him the truth lately.

Kate/Kat was standing naked in front of the full length mirror in the bathroom that was next to his bedroom. You had to go out into the hallway to reach it and it was actually two doors down, since the first door down turned out to be a storage closet.

She had been staring at her reflection with suddenly Castle had shown up behind her and wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her shoulder. This bathroom was a little bigger and the toilet was separated by the rest of the bathroom by a door. He had come from there after Kate/Kat had gotten out of the tub.

"You're looking better." Castle had whispered into her ear that was only a fraction of an inch away from his lips.

Kate/Kat had relaxed against him. She looked better and she felt better.

Castle hadn't asked her any questions about her time with her 'boyfriend'. The 'boyfriend' that she was fast coming to terms with was anything but. A REAL boyfriend would have done what Castle was doing now.

"You're still too skinny." Castle commented and ran his fingers over each rib that they both could see, and down to her hip bones that protruded out. Her legs while still long were way too thin. She almost looked like a skeleton with skin covering it.

However her breasts were looking better. The scratches were gone as she ran a pair of fingers over where the marks used to be.

Castle hadn't touched her yet, except to apply the cream and she hadn't questioned it. Kate/Kat still thought she was ugly and to be honest didn't want him touching her. It didn't seem or feel right to let him.

"The cream seems to be working." Castle had commented as she ran her fingers over those areas. "And your eyes are greener and the area below your eyes isn't as dark."

Kate/Kat's skin color was improving too. Plus she was walking around better lately. And Castle had given her that tour he had offered.

She got shown the dining room, the other 3 bedrooms and storage closets downstairs, the office at the bow and had been amazed that he had a chicken coop and had access to really fresh eggs. Then got to watch Alexis collect them for breakfast one morning.

Then both Alexis and Castle had taken her down to the dock area and showed her all the plants that were down there. She found out they had a lot more than just strawberries down there.

They also had some really big pots that had trees in them. They had Cherries, Apples, Empress Peach, and a blueberry that they thought had died on them last winter.

"I don't understand." Kate/Kat had commented while still staring into the mirror while still in Castle's arms.

"Understand what?" Castle had switched to looking into her eyes in the mirror.

"Lanie said I would start to have withdrawals. Crying, screaming, kicking, pleading and that it would be painful." Kate/Kat confided and she hadn't done any of those things yet and it had been almost 2 weeks since her last cigarette. She hadn't even made it past a week before now. Three or four days was even a long time.

Castle had spun her around to face him while holding onto her arms. "Is that why you tried to run away?" Castle had been searching her eyes for an answer.

Kate/Kat had looked down at the floor. "I didn't want to hurt Alexis, … or you. She didn't need to see that." Castle had immediately placed a long and heart felt kiss on her forehead.

"How about we run you a bath while I take a shower, then I can get Alexis in the other tub and bath her. Followed by breakfast, then we have an appointment." Castle reminds her.

Kate/Kat sucked in a breath. She still wasn't sure about this plan of his. Being seen by strangers was scary plus it meant riding in his car, through the city during the day with all of those people around.

Rick could feel her shaking. "Relax, Alexis and I will be out front waiting for you the entire time. Then we're going to go shopping to get you some better clothes. Something to bring out the green of your eyes." Rick smiles at her and then kisses the tip of her nose. Getting a whisper of a smile out of her.

A couple of hours later they were sitting at the table on the roof eating breakfast. Rick had gotten Kate/Kat into her skinny jeans for the first time. She was also wearing one of the three true bras he had gotten her along with one of those tops.

The only shoes she had were those boat shoes.

Kate/Kat had taken a long look at herself in the mirror. The green top brought out the color of her eyes, but the blue jeans only seemed to make her look even more skinny.

Rick had gotten everyone into the car and had to buckle Kate/Kat's seat belt for her since she didn't know how. Alexis was in the back in her car seat.

Kate/Kat was watching everywhere they went. Her hands were in her lap and she was squeezing her fingers in her hands over and over again. Freaking out only just started to describe it.

Rick found a place to park the car and had to almost pry Kate/Kat out of the car.

Carrying Alexis in one arm while holding onto Kate/Kat's hand he guided her down the busy sidewalk to their destination. He could feel and hear her shaking and whimpering. She was ready to burst and he knew it.

Then he put her off to one side and opened the door and guided her inside. Stepping up to the receptionist. "We have an appointment, under Rodgers." Rick tells her. Not everyone would recognize him, but his name might be another matter.

"Of course, we've been expecting you. Give us a minute and someone will be right out." She tells him, not recognizing him.

"Relax Kat, you're fine. Alexis and I will be out here waiting for you to finish. There is only one way in and out." Rick tries to assure her. Technically he was lying. There was likely a door out back, but she didn't need to know that.

A lady comes up front. "Rodgers?"

"That's us." Rick waits for her to step to them.

"You want a complete body scrub." She wants to make certain of what is to be done.

"Correct. Trim her hair and remove every single hair from the nose down." Rick wants to make sure he got what was agreed to over the phone. "Plus her nails on her hands and toes."

"You understand this may take some time depending on how much work needs to be done." If he was planning on waiting with his little girl, it might be a long wait.

"I understand, we'll be here." Rick assures her.

"If you'll come with me miss." And takes Kate/Kat by the arm and Kate/Kat follows while watching Rick get further and further away, until she can't see him anymore.

Two hours later a different lady came out to give Rick an update and a revised time it would take to finish. "We'll go get some ice cream and come back then."

"**YES!" **Alexis jumps up out of her chair, getting the lady to smile.

Rick and Alexis were back a little over an hour later after eating their ice cream cone.

It was three hours later when the first lady with Kate/Kat right behind her came out front and stepped to one side over to the receptionist.

"**WOW!"** Was all Rick could say. Alexis was grinning wide.

Kate/Kat was grinning and spun in place then held up her fingers to show off the color they gave her. Which was an off green that went with her top and her eyes.

Rick stepped up close to her. "You're gorgeous. I told you we would get there if you let me." And Rick kissed her cheek.

Kate/Kat however launched herself into his arms and hugged him. She felt different and she felt clean.

Rick paid for the service and they left with Alexis walking with her hand in one of Rick's hands and the other was in Kate/Kat's on the other side. As they walked down the sidewalk to their next stop.

Kate/Kat was grinning the entire way. Not seeing any of the vast amount of people on the sidewalk. Kate only had eyes for two people.

Kings Plaza Shopping Center & Marina was the next stop. Victoria's Secret was the first stop.

"We need a lot, plus she needs to be sized." Rick tells the first lady to approach them.

"Of course." She was only too happy to help them. She spotted a big sale standing in front of her and was going to have him buying half the store if she could.

Just under 2 hours later, they were leaving with a few bags. 4 bras, 4 panties, 2 sleep shirts, 2 slips, 2 baby dolls, 2 bikini's to swim in, and one pair of boots for the coming winter. Since it was going to be fall soon.

Macy's was the next stop.

Rick had sent Kate/Kat into the changing room with three different dresses and had taken Alexis over to the shoe section to look for shoes for Kate/Kat and Alexis, carrying the Victoria Secret bags with him.

"He wasn't finding anything he thought Kat might like since he was thinking high heels were out. So he switched to looking at children's shoes.

"Alexis, what do you think of these?" Rick turned with a shoe in hand to see what his daughter thought.

"Alexis?" She wasn't where he thought she was. "Alexis?" And starts looking around.

Rick throws the shoe he found back on the table and with bags in hand. "ALEXIS?" And starts searching the area.

"**ALEXIS!"** This time Rick yells. Still looking and calling out for Alexis, one of the workers approaches Rick.

"Problem sir." Calm and forceful.

"I can't find my daughter." Rick was now approaching panic mode.

"Can you tell me where you last saw her sir?" The lady asks him.

"We were in the shoe section. I found a pair of shoes for her I wanted her opinion of." Rick's head was on a swivel, looking around.

"If you'll come with me sir." And she walks for one of the sales areas and picks up a phone.

One minute later, two of Macy's security members is standing next to Rick. They are asking him questions.

Where was she last? How old is she? What was she wearing? Where was his wife during this time?

Then he is talking into his phone. "Sir we are working on closing all the doors. No one gets in or out without getting past one of our security personnel. We've got someone going over the cameras looking for your daughter." He assures her that the staff is looking for her.

A little later Kate/Kat shows up with those three dresses in her hands. "Castle?"

"Alexis is missing. She was right next to me while looking at shoes. Next, she's gone." Rick explains.

**"WHAT DO YOU MEAN GONE!?** … Where is she?" Kate/Kat at first screams at Rick, then simply asks.

"Miss, we are searching for your daughter. The doors are closed and we're looking for her." The security guy tells her.

"Then start searching for her!" Kate/Kat shoves the dresses she has in her hands into his chest and takes off. **"ALEXIS!"**

Rick and the security guy with him hear an occasional. **"ALEXIS!" **Being yelled out by Kate/Kat.

Rick soon has two police officers standing with him, explaining that they have marked and unmarked units patrolling the area outside of Macy's in and outside the mall itself looking for her.

Then they ask if he has a recent picture of her?

Rick tries to pull out his wallet but finds it difficult carrying all those Victoria Secret's bags. So the lady who approached him takes them from him to free his hands.

Rick hands over the picture he has. "Thank you sir, I'll get this scanned and out to the officers who are searching."

"I can get you copies. It'll help our security staff look for her." The Macy's security guy tells him.

"**ALEXIS!"** Drifts from some section of the store.

Kate/Kat was still screaming out **"ALEXIS!"** at the top of her lungs while walking around the store.

Then she spotted a twinkle of light. Alexis had been wearing those sneakers that had lights in them that twinkled when they moved.

Kate/Kat immediately dove for the floor under a bunch of woman's long coats. The type that looked like trench coats.

"Alexis!" Kate/Kat scoops her up off the floor where she was laying on the floor on top of one of the coats that was on the floor.

Kate/Kat squeezes her tight and starts kissing her head, and starts crying while sitting on the floor under a bunch of coats squeezing and kissing Alexis.

"Hi Kat." Alexis whispers out.

Kate/Kat kisses her one more time. "What are you doing down here?" She looks her right in the eye.

"I got tired." Actually she was bored first, then got tired.

Kate/Kat starts laughing. "You got tired." She goes back to kissing her and squeezing her tight.

"You had us all scared. Don't ever do that again pumpkin. You scared me to death." Kate/Kat sniffles and kisses Alexis's head one more time.

"I'm sorry." Alexis whispers out.

Kate/Kate wipes away some of her tears. "Just don't ever scare me like that again. … Come on let's go find Castle. He's worried too." It was time to face the music.

Kate/Kat got up and picked Alexis up and carried her back to the last place she saw Castle.

"ALEXIS!" Rick came charging the second Kate/Kat rounded the corner with her. And had his arms around both of them.

Rick took Alexis's face in both his hands without taking her from Kate/Kat. "Don't EVER do that again young lady. You scared the crap out of me."

"Sorry daddy." Rick then kissed Kate/Kat on the lips and lingered there as a thank you for finding his daughter. It got a blush out of Kate/Kat.

After they cleared everything with Macy's security, and the police, the three of them left without buying Kate/Kat a dress. They both had what they wanted.

Kate/Kat was carrying Alexis while Rick carried the bags with his other arm around Kate/Kat all the way to the car.

Kate/Kat carried Alexis all the way from the car to the living room where they sat with Alexis in Kate's lap with her arms wrapped around her holding her close on the sofa.

"I'm going to go start dinner." Rick leaves them in the living room. Kissing both of them on the forehead.

Kate/Kat remained silent till dinner snuggling with Alexis on the sofa, not that Alexis minded considering she was trying to melt into her.

Dinner was eaten up on the roof deck again, however it was mostly quiet. Alexis was sorry for sneaking off. Not that she thought of it that way. She was just tired and wanted to sleep someplace undisturbed.

Rick and Kate/Kat thought about what they had almost lost, and it had scared both of them to their core.

Rick was tucking Alexis into bed. "You managed to scare both of us to death today pumpkin. Please don't do that again." Rick begged her.

"Sorry daddy." Alexis had never seen either of them that scared before. Rick kissed her and left after turning on the AC and closing the door.

Rick went back upstairs to sit with Kate/Kat and they just watched the lights silently.

She was scared and hadn't forgotten that Castle had kissed her, this time really kissed her.

Rick was so very grateful that Kate/Kat had found her. He didn't know what he would have done if no one had found her.

Rick had applied the cream to her skin and was greatly impressed with what she looked like now without all that hair all over.

He was working on her leg which was the last of her to get the cream. "You're gorgeous, you know that, right?" Rick looked at her.

"I feel better, but I'm not pretty." Kate/Kat corrects him.

"I disagree, and I'll get you to see what I see one of these days. You wait and see." Rick corrects her.

Then lets her put on one of her brand new sleep shirts while he washes up.

Once done he crawls into bed with Kate/Kat and wraps his arms around her feeling her adjust her position to move in closer.

"Thank you for finding Alexis, I would have gone nuts if no one did." Rick whispers out.

"She scared me to death Castle. I don't think I've ever been so scared. I was losing my mind walking around screaming her name." Kate/Kat confides not ready to call it love.

Rick avoids the topic. "Do you still want that cigarette?" Rick changes topics.

Kate/Kat sighs. She still wasn't better. "Yes." Telling the truth.

"It'll get better Kat, you'll see. … Night Kat." Rick kisses her shoulder since that was what was within reach.

"Night Castle." Grinning that he's still kissing her.


	14. Chapter 14

**CH14**

It was now one week later:

Kate/Kat was waking up again and found herself draped all over Castle as he was lying on his back. This was different! They had never slept together like this before. And his arms were holding her in place and he was only wearing his sleep shorts like always. So that meant her head was on his bare chest.

And one of her arms was holding him in place. Kate/Kat couldn't help but kiss his bare chest.

Castle hadn't offered to let her go sleep in her own room again, and she hadn't asked. In fact she followed him into his room each night and let him apply the cream on her skin.

Lanie had told them they could stop giving her pain pills a week ago and had stopped bringing anti-biotic pills saying she didn't need them anymore. Rick however was still giving her a vitamin gummy twice a day.

Lanie had also given her another very thorough physical just yesterday after she had stayed for dinner.

Lanie had been happy with her results so far. Kate/Kat's eyes were bright and still green. She had left the last of the cream she was going to need. Enough for about another week.

Lanie had also instructed Kate/Kat on how to shave her legs and private areas and had left her the tools necessary. And told her to get Rick to get her more when she needed it.

Kate/Kat had just finished kissing his bare chest yet again as she was breathing him in when she could feel him stir. There was one more thing that she noticed the last few days.

He had an erection. Kate/Kat could see it under his sleeping shorts. This morning she had the urge to reach down and play with it, however Lanie had also told her one more thing.

She was damaged down there and having sex would only cause more damage. Lanie had told her to wait another few weeks and let her immune system recover from the damage. And if she hurt Castle, Lanie would bury her.

Kate/Kat could feel Castle squeeze her so she knew he was awake so she lifted up to look at him. "Hi."

"Hi." Rick responds. "How do you feel?"

"Pretty good actually." And as she thought about it, she did feel pretty good.

"Still want that cigarette?" Rick asked her that every morning for the last two weeks.

"A little, but not too much." Kate/Kat was still telling him the truth. It felt like she should be smoking, but she didn't really feel the need to have one.

"You're making progress. … And you're happy not having a cigarette?" This was a new question.

Kate/Kat thought about it. Castle was more boyfriend than her old 'boyfriend' ever was. Castle was kind, gentle and caring.

Then there was Alexis. She still didn't understand why almost losing Alexis in that store had scared her so much. She wasn't hers, she just lived here. But she wanted more.

No time like the present, so she reached down and grabbed a hold of his erection that was still there. And she could feel him react to that. "You need to stop Kat."

"And if I don't?" Kate/Kat wanted answers. She had been dancing around that real kiss he had given her and she wanted answers. But she also remembered the warning Lanie had given her.

"Because if you don't it's going to lead to something you're not ready for." Rick advises her.

"You don't want me. You keep telling me I'm not ugly even if I really am." It was what she saw.

Rick sat up in bed and drew her in close so he could look into her eyes. "Don't ask me what I saw that day when I found you as you were crawling away from a house that just blew up. I just knew I saw something.

What I see now is the same thing I saw weeks ago. A beautiful young woman. One of these days you are going to see the ugly duckling that you think you are and turn into a beautiful swan.

It has been a really long time since I wanted anyone. But if I start I know I can't stop BECAUSE it has been a long time. And Lanie warned me that your system can't take it and I would only end up hurting you.

And that is the very last thing I would ever want to do. And I saw what you did when Alexis disappeared. I saw what she meant to you on your face.

So the answer to your question is yes. I do want you. However I'm willing to wait till you are better. And by then it'll mean so much more than just sex. And I have no intention of fucking you Kat. I intend to make love to you. Something I'm not sure you've ever felt before." Rick gives her the answers she is looking for and then some.

Rick takes her hand off of him and lifts both of them up to his lips and kisses both of them. "So for now, keep your hands to yourself and let me worry about me and let me continue to worry about you." Rick looks into her eyes and can see the beginning of tears. She was apparently listening.

"Now get your skinny butt into the tub and get clean while I take a shower and then bathe Alexis. Then come up for breakfast." Then Rick kisses her again, softly and as sensuously as possible.

"And if you decide to run in the middle of the night, I will hunt you down. Because I don't want to hear Alexis crying that you up and left her. Now go get clean." Rick gives her a quick kiss and gets up and heads for the shower. "And don't forget to let me apply more cream. Or I will spank you skinny butt till you can't sit down from the pain." Rick grins at her and steps into the shower.

Kate/Kat was smiling her entire time in the tub. Maybe she did have a real boyfriend. What came next?

Kate/Kat went up into the kitchen and found Rick and Alexis there. "Here is yours." Rick handed it over to Kate/Kat who took it upstairs. Knowing the others would follow.

Rick and Alexis did soon follow. As usual Rick made two different breakfasts, one for her and one for them. Kate/Kat had asked him one time why.

Her's was different because he wanted her to gain weight but give her the right vitamins and fiber at the same time. Even something as simple as breakfast he was being kind to her and caring.

They were still eating breakfast. "I have a meeting with Black Pawn this morning. I should be back by lunch. You two ok here alone for a little while? … I can ask Lanie to come over."

"You're leaving daddy?" Alexis wasn't sure she wanted him to leave.

"You've got Kat to keep you company." Rick points out.

Now Kate/Kat was worried. Left alone with Alexis for hours. This would be a first.

"I can try and take you with me, but then that would leave Kat all alone. You get to be a big girl and keep her company. You can play in the living room while Kat watches you." Rick tries a different track.

Alexis looks at Kate/Kat. She did like her a lot, and in the same room together.

"You know how to dial 911 if you have to pumpkin." Rick had gone to a lot of trouble to teach it to her, and the address was on the refrigerator.

Finally Alexis nods her head. "That's my girl." Rick was beaming.

Alexis was playing in the living room and Kate/Kat was sitting on the sofa. "Ok, this should only be a couple of hours. Just watch her and don't either of you leave the boat. Not one is expected to come. Not even UPS of FedEx, so it should just be you two.

If you get bored, here's a book for you to read. Alexis already knows how to turn on the DVD player that already has a movie that she likes already in it. You two should be fine." Rick then kisses Kate/Kat quickly. "You be a good girl pumpkin."

Kate/Kat moves to a chair so she can turn it to watch Alexis play down near Castle's office. A little later she picks up the book he left.

A Brewing Storm - Richard Castle.

Kate/Kat's head snaps up and she looks down to the office. He wrote books down there. Why hadn't she ever asked what he did in that room? And he didn't tell her either. Why?

She turned the book over and found a picture of him and her face lit up and her mouth fell open and stared across the room not seeing anything.

"Mom I'm bored." Kate moaned.

"Watch a movie or read a book, you like to read." Johanna replies back.

"I've watched all the movies we have, there aren't any new ones and I've read all my books." Kate answers her response moaning again.

"Well if you didn't read so fast Katie you would have a book you haven't read yet." Johanna answers back. Johanna walks over and picks up a book. "Here read one of mine." Johanna hands over a book.

Flowers for your Grave – Richard Castle

"MOM! … His books are all about murder mom. What's the fun in reading about people being killed?" Kate didn't understand why her mother read these kinds of books.

"It's exciting and filled with action. Just the kind of stuff you like to read. Besides, the bad guy always gets caught in his books." Johanna tells her.

"Oh way to spoil the ending mom." Kate points out she now didn't have a reason to read it. "Why don't you tell me who did it while you're at it. That way I don't have to read it."

"Read it, don't read it. Makes no difference to me Katie. We can go to the library after your father gets home and you can check out a new book for you to read." Johanna goes back into the kitchen to check on what she has in the oven. She didn't want it to dry out.

"I'll wait mom, thanks anyway." And Kate throws the book on the sofa. Besides her new boyfriend was going to show up in a few hours. She liked his bike and he looked adventurous. Just what she wanted. Some action.

"Kat? …. KAT! ….. **KAT!**" Alexis finally got her attention. "You dropped the book." Alexis handed it back to her.

Kate/Kat took it from her and looked at it.

A Brewing Storm – Richard Castle.

Kate/Kat got up quickly and strode for Rick's office. Inside she saw his laptop and she had seen him typing on. Beyond was the chicken coop that she had also seen.

Just to the left of the door was a book case that she had seen too.

Kate/Kat started searching the book case looking for something. Book after book. Then she found it.

Kate/Kat stopped breathing and with a shaking hand she pulled it down to look at it.

Flowers for your Grave – Richard Castle

Kate/Kat looked at the book Castle had given her that was still in her hand and turned both of them over. On the back of each of them was a picture of Castle.

Kate/Kat turned to stare out at the chicken coop. "Read it, don't read it. Makes no difference to me Katie."

Next thing Kate/Kat knew was Alexis was tugging on her pants. Snapping out of it and shaking her head to clear what she saw and heard. "What do you want pumpkin?'

"Play with me?" Alexis was tired of playing alone, and Kat was just standing there.

"Sure." And Kate/Kat placed both books down of the desk next to his laptop.

Rick was still fuming as he walked from his car at the end of the dock to the boat several yards down.

The nerve of that woman! The steam coming out of his ears was helping to keep the pizza he had bought warm while he walked.

Rick unlocked the door and re-locked it behind him. Leaving the pizza in the kitchen that was where he found them. Still playing on the floor together at the far end of the room.

Rick just stood there and watched. They had set up an elaborate horse farm. House, barn, fence, trees, and of course, horses. Alexis had one horse and was jumping fences with Kat and her horse right next to hers. Where Alexis went, Kat followed.

Then he heard Alexis say something but it was too soft and he was too far away. Kat however responded by making a horse noise and her horse took off running.

Alexis had to get up to keep up with her horse and when she did she spotted Rick standing there. **"DADDY!"** And raced across the room with her horse still in hand and slammed into his legs and wrapped him up.

"Hey pumpkin, you having a good time?" Rick leaned down to pick her up.

"We're playing horsy." A happy Alexis proudly tells him and has her horse, still in her hand, jumping around Rick's head.

"I can see that. … What's your horse's name?" Rick was willing to play along.

Alexis thought about it, since they hadn't given any of the horse's names yet. "STAR!"

"And what is Kat's horse's name?" Rick asked her watching Kate/Kat walk up to them.

Alexis thought about it a moment. "Kitty." She thought it was funny.

"Kitty Kat. …. Sounds like a nice name." Rick kisses his daughters hair. "Was she any trouble?" Rick looks at Kate/Kat.

Kate/Kat shakes her head. "She's been perfect." And smiles at him.

"I brought pizza if anyone is hungry." Rick tells them.

"PIZZA!" Alexis squirms since she wants down. After getting Rick to put her down. "It's in the kitchen." Rick tells her and watches Alexis run for the kitchen.

"Everything ok?" Kate/Kat asks him. She can see the lines on his face and almost feel the waves of hate he is radiating out.

"It's nothing, I'll tell you later." And Rick starts to turn for the kitchen. Kate/Kat however stops him by grabbing his arm.

Rick deflates after looking at her face. "My publisher called this meeting, but she didn't really have anything to talk about. All she seemed to be interested in was getting me to say yes to going out to lunch with her." Rick's anger was coming back just recounting what had happened.

"Did you?" Kate/Kat asks.

"**NO! … **Why would I want to go to lunch with her, when I have you two? … She really pissed me off." Rick took a step closer and leaned his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't be taking it out on you. It's not fair." Rick let out a slow breath to calm himself.

"It was just lunch." Kate/Kat comments.

Rick lifts back up to look her in the eyes. "That's just it, it wasn't just lunch. It was a date. She was hitting on me. Trying to make us a couple, when she's my publisher."

"OH!" Some woman was trying to make Castle her boyfriend. "And you didn't want her to." Kate/Kat whispers out.

His reply was to wrap his arms around her and kiss her, deeply. Soon his tongue was stroking her lips asking for entrance. When her lips parted just a fraction, he dove right in and searched her mouth.

He soon heard a moan escape from Kate/Kat and felt her arms tighten around him.

Finally breaking from the kiss they rested their foreheads against each other, while Kate/Kat did her best to try and get some air in her lungs and get her mind to start working again.

"WOW!" Rick comments, getting Kate/Kat to giggle. She was still trying to recover from that kiss.

"Pizza daddy." Alexis was at the door.

Rick lifts his head. "Pizza. …. Right. We're coming pumpkin." A quick kiss to Kate/Kat's lips and he let her go first into the kitchen with a hand placed at the small of her back.

The kitchen had a small bistro table with 3 chairs and they ate their pizza there instead of taking it up to the roof.

Alexis talked a mile a minute about her morning while Rick was gone while Rick and Kate/Kat just sat there stealing looks at each other.

Was Castle her boyfriend? And was this 'Publisher' whatever her name is, trying to steal him from her?

If they can't have sex yet, maybe more kissing will help her keep him. She wanted to keep him. Him and Alexis. Almost losing Alexis in that store had taught her one thing. She cared.

"Read it, don't read it. Makes no difference to me Katie."

"You ok over there?" Rick asks her.

"Hhmm, … I'm fine. … fine." But she wasn't fine.

Rick didn't believe her, but let her keep her secret for now.


	15. Chapter 15

**CH15**

It was one week later now:

Kate/Kat hadn't as yet told Rick about her episode with his books and frankly didn't know how. She was however doing what she could to make sure Rick knew she was there and not go out to lunch with his publisher.

She was kissing him almost every chance she got. Alexis had taken to going "Eeeww." And either turn away or shield her eyes.

In truth however she was happy that they liked each other enough to kiss in front of her. Knowing that they liked each other was one thing, watching it was another.

There had been three more episodes since the one with the book. Rick had come home and had brought in the mail with him. It was mostly just junk. Coupon samplers, pre-approved for a credit card, extended car insurance. A lot of stuff that simply went straight into the trash.

The rest of it was sitting on the dining room table, which was where Kate/Kat found it one day. Curious she picked it all up and sorted through it one at a time.

Something about car insurance, one was from some bank, one looked like a card. It unlike the others was already open, so she opened it and pulled out a card. It was an invitation to a movie premiere. A chance to see a new movie before the general public.

It was from Black Pawn. "Take me to the movies Richard. – Gina" Was this the woman that was after her boyfriend? And her name was Gina.

Kate/Kat moved on to the next one while still holding the card. This one was from a school.

"It came mom, it came." Kate was bouncing.

Johanna stepped into view. "Well open it Katie. Find out what it says." Johanna was just a couple of feet away now looking at her daughter.

Kate played with it and started to stick her finger in the crease to rip it open, but stopped. "I can't. .. You open it." And extends it out towards her mother.

"It's addressed to you Katie, not me. And I'm not the one that's going. … Open it honey." Johanna gives her a little verbal push.

Kate takes a look at the envelope again. Katherine Beckett, with her address below it. It was addressed to her alright.

Kate starts again at trying to open it. This was important, she had been checking the mail personally for days the second the mail man had left it. Searching and praying.

"I can't. … You open it." And shoves it in her mother's chest and withdrawals her hands letting go of it.

Johanna takes it and starts to open it watching her daughter play with her hands, watching her every move. Johanna decides to play with her a bit and drags out opening it. Little piece by little piece.

Finally with it open Johanna pauses before removing the letter that is inside. **"MOM!"** Kate moans at her for teasing her.

Johanna pulls out the letter and opens it and starts reading it. Quietly to herself.

"**WELL!?"** Kate can't take much more of this.

In a very sad sounding voice. "I'm sorry honey. … YOU ARE ACCEPTED!" Suddenly using a happy, excited voice.

"I was accepted. … I was accepted. …. I'm going to Stanford, I'm going to Stanford." Kate starts bouncing and hugs her mother.

Kate/ Kat didn't know how long she had been just standing there.

Katherine Beckett.

When suddenly the mail was removed from her hands and she saw Castle standing next to her.

Rick threw all of it save the card back onto the dining room table. For a moment, just for a heart breaking moment she thought he was going to tell her he was going to the movie with this, Gina.

Then she watched him rip it into two pieces and then watched him rip those into two pieces. Then throw what was left of the card onto the dining room table. Then he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her. With his tongue asking for entrance.

This time she kissed him back and used her tongue to play a duel with his. Taking the words Katherine Beckett right out of her head, at least for the moment.

After recovering from the kiss that Rick had provided, with their foreheads holding each other up. "Our last shopping trip was interrupted. Since you need more clothes, how about another try?"

Thirty minutes later they were driving through downtown again, this time headed for Bloomingdales in Soho, since is served a more younger crowd.

This time Rick held Alexis's hand and never once let go, even resorting to carrying her.

Rick was sitting just outside the fitting rooms with Alexis who had decided that she wasn't going to do that again and was just sitting in the chair next to him, quietly.

"How long does it take to try on one lousy dress?" Rick had seen her get dressed in the morning faster than this.

When a minute later. "CASTLE?"

"Come on pumpkin, that's our queue." And Rick with Alexis in tow strides into the woman's fitting room and watches one woman scurry for cover.

"Where are you?" There was more than one place to go after all. Then he sees a hand waving.

Rick steps in and finds a very unhappy Kate/Kat wearing a shapeless dress that looked more like a bed sheet than a dress. "I look hideous Castle!" She looked like she was ready to cry.

"Where did you get this, … thing anyway? It's not what I sent you in with." Rick knew this wasn't what he had picked out.

"It didn't fit and the lady gave me this instead." Kate/Kat pokes at it and tries pinching it.

Rick picked up the one he sent her in with and looked at the size. Ok so he needed a different size. "Take that thing off and wait here. You too pumpkin, you stay with Kat." And Rick exits and is on the hunt for a different dress, … again.

It takes a little time but he is back with the same dress, just a different size plus two more. "Here try these." And he steps back outside of her room and tries to ignore the other women who look at him funny.

Seeing her hand waving again he steps inside. "See, told ya." Rick was grinning. "We put a few more pounds on you and you'll fill this dress out nicely. … Ok, try this one next." And he picks up one of the others and hands it to her, and then steps back outside.

"Can you hold this for me pumpkin?" Filters out to Rick. _When did she start calling Alexis pumpkin?_ Rick now had a huge grin on his face.

"CASTLE?" Was his queue to step back inside. He would stay inside but it was kinda tight in there and if he stayed there would be less space for her to move around with.

"Ooops, my bad. That doesn't look that good on you. Try the last one." Rick steps back outside.

He gets a few looks but he just smiles back at them.

"CASTLE?" Was his next queue to step back inside. "Oh yeah, now we are getting someplace. Couple of more pounds here and there and it'll be perfect."

Rick could see her smiling as she stared into the mirror with Rick right behind her fingering the dress she was wearing.

"Give the two we are keeping to Alexis to hold and I'll take this two, … things back. This thing should never have been made in the first place." Rick was holding it with as few fingers as possible.

"Then we have to go to another section and find a different kind of dress." Rick tells them.

"How many dresses do I need Castle?" She had clothes that she liked. These looked a little flashy to her mind.

"I have a book signing here in town in three days, that should last about 3 hours with one break. I'm planning on taking you and Alexis with me. I want to show you off." Rick was grinning.

"Book signing?" Kate/Kat didn't get it.

"My publisher likes for people to see me so they set up these signings. They buy my book and I sign the inside of it. A little personal touch. It helps increase book sales. My publisher and myself make more money this way." Rick explains.

"Your publisher." Kate/Kat didn't like the sound of this. That meant this Gina person might be there. Kate/Kat decided she was willing to go. And if this Gina so much as touched him she was going to scratch her eyes out.

Kate/Kat walked with Alexis and followed Rick to another section of the store. This place had wayyyyy different type of dresses.

Rick now knew what dress size to look for and started working his way through what was available. "Can I help you sir?" A sales lady stepped up to Rick.

"We have an event that we will be attending and I want to find, …. HA!" Rick thinks he has found what he likes and it is in her size.

Taking it over to Kate/Kat. "Here, try this one on." Rick hands it to Kate/Kat.

"This way miss." And the sales lady escorts Kate/Kat to a fitting room.

"You go with Kat pumpkin, I'll wait out here this time." Rick guides Alexis to go with her.

A little later Kate/Kat and Alexis with the sales lady come back out. **"WOW!"** Is all Rick had to say.

It was a floor length dress that covered her chest area completely, however as Kate/Kat spun it was totally backless and stopped only a fraction above her derriere. It was a dark green that made her green eyes pop.

Kate/Kat however was blushing. She and Alexis knew that to make this work, she wasn't wearing anything under it. NOTHING!

"It's maybe a little big around the waist for you, but you look perfect in it." The sales lady pinches her waist.

"We need it in three days, that enough time?" Rick asks her.

"We can have it ready tomorrow if you like. First thing in the morning." The sales lady tell him. "Let me get a marker and some pins."

Kate/Kat has changed back to her normal clothes. "Castle, I was naked under that thing." She wasn't convinced it was the dress for her.

"Not to worry, I have a plan." Rick grinned.

"His plan turned out to be a $22 thong, a bracelet for her to wear, some pads that had to be glued into place under her breasts and some shoes that were flats, since he wasn't sure about her wearing high heels just yet.

They were home and Alexis went into the living room to play. Kate/Kat went with Rick into the kitchen. "Castle, what is going to happen at this book signing?"

"They'll have me sitting at a small table in the hardest chair they can find that has nails in it. There will be a long line of people with books they either brought with them or bought in the store.

You and Alexis will be either standing part of the time or sitting directly behind me, while I greet the people and sign their books. Then there will be a 15 minute water and bathroom break, and then keep going until the time runs out." Rick explains what will happen. "When it's over we thank the book store owner for all his help in making the signing a big success and for letting us use his store.

Our being there means any book he sells is likely going to only be my book. So this may or may not hurt his overall sales for the day. Plus he has to have extra workers to make sure no one comes in, gets in line and ends up stealing books without paying for them." Doing this was good and bad for the book store owner.

"So you really don't need me." Kate/Kat was looking for an out.

"No you don't have to go, but I want to show you off to everyone who comes. You're with me and I want everyone to know it. Including Gina." Rick really wanted her to stop. He had the girl he wanted and she was only getting better every week.

"Gina." Kate/Kat whispers out. She was suddenly willing to stand behind him all three hours with her arms wrapped around his neck, kissing the back of his head if she had to.

Rick had taken Kate/Kat and Alexis to still another store to get some make-up for her the next day and had the sales lady explain how to apply a minimal amount of make-up. He didn't want to overdo it.

It was 9:00 am the morning of the book signing and he had Kate/Kat getting ready while Rick started searching for one of his suits and then helped Alexis choose what to wear.

After Alexis was ready and sent her upstairs he went back to Kate/Kat who was just finishing applying the make-up like she was taught.

Rick guided her over to the full length mirror and twisted her in place so she could see all sides. "Now do you see what I saw all those weeks ago?" Rick asked her standing behind her with his hands resting on her stomach.

Kate/Kat shook her head and wiped away the first tear that escaped. "Do you want a cigarette?" Rick asked her.

This time Kate/Kat shook her head. She didn't and didn't even feel like she should be doing it just to be doing it.

Rick kissed the back of her head. "And this is the woman I want people to see, plus you can keep Alexis from getting bored and wandering off to find someplace to sleep." Rick grins into the mirror behind her. Getting Kate/Kat to giggle.

It is 10:30 when they arrive at the book store and already there is a line out the door and down the street.

Gina approached Rick. "Richard a moment." And takes his arm and pulls him away from Kate/Kat and Alexis who's hand she is holding.

"Who's the bitch Richard and why is your daughter here?" Gina sounded like she had venom in her voice.

Rick turned on her and stepped up to Gina and was now just an inch from her face. His lips were now just an inch from her forehead and if looks could kill, Gina would already be 6 feet under.

"She's with me and she stays and Alexis has been to these events with me before Gina." Rick tells her.

"Fine, she can wait in the back with your daughter." Gina didn't like it. Having them here was screwing with her plans.

"They are both going to be right behind me and no place else." Rick corrects her as he backs off a step.

"No they are not Richard, you are required to do these signings. They are not so they wait in the back." Gina wasn't having any of this.

"My contract requires I attend this signing, it doesn't say anything about who I can or cannot bring with me to them. So go find them some chairs to sit right behind me." Rick instructs her.

"Not going to happen Richard." Gina was not letting this slut interfere with her plans.

"Yes Gina it is. Or Alexis sits on the floor behind me while Kate stands behind me with her arms draped all over me with her head resting on my shoulder kissing or nibbling on my ear the entire time.

So either find them chairs to sit in or go down the street and buy them some." Rick explains his terms. "Or I will and we can start as late as it takes me to find and buy them." Rick stares at Gina giving her a choice.

"That's not how we do it here." Gina was the publisher and she was in charge. "What are you doing?" As she watches Rick take out his phone.

"Calling my old publisher in L.A. who will talk to his boss, who in turn will talk to your boss, who in turn will tell you how it is done here." Rick explains.

"High Peter, it's Rick. You got a few minutes, I'm having some trouble with, ..." Gina reaches out and takes the phone out of his hand and presses end.

"Fine, I'll find them both some chairs directly behind you." Gina tells him and suddenly his phone starts ringing. Caller ID said Peter Brown. Gina gave him back his phone and walked off to find those chairs.

"Hi Peter, sorry about that. Gina had a question and my finger touched the wrong button." Rick proceeded to talk to him a little about what was happening lately.

Rick found Kate/Kat and Alexis sitting in chairs directly behind the one he would be sitting at, with Gina standing off to one side throwing daggers at them.


	16. Chapter 16

**CH16**

**It was now one week later:**

Kate/Kat was feeling better. Castle had even taken her hand and dragged her into his/their bedroom, striped her of her clothes and used the last of the cream on her skin. Then escorted her to bed and wrapped his arms around her and had even kissed her deeply before saying good night.

Kate/Kat had done her best to melt into him as best she could.

This morning she had woken early and according to the clock it was just about an hour before they usually get up and she found herself softly crying.

Alexis had tripped on the stairs yesterday and fell down. It was only a couple of steps. Kate/Kat had been the closest with Castle in his office writing his next book. He had just two more chapters to work out and send it to the publisher. He had promised that she could read it off of his laptop after sending it.

She would literally be the first to read it.

Alexis had cried out and was lying on the floor crying. Kate/Kat had scooped her up and held her tight and felt her heart breaking that she was hurt while sitting on the floor.

Nothing was broken, however Kate/Kat had, had a dream that she just work up from that had her crying.

"Daddy can I ride my bike?" Kate asked her father.

"Sure honey let me get it out for you." And Jim went out to the garage and fished it out of the garage that was packed with everything but cars.

Kate was soon going up and down the street on her bike with the training wheels still on. Doing her best not to let the extra wheels hit the ground.

"You want to try it without the training wheels?" Jim asked her.

"Can I daddy?" Kate answered all excited.

Kate watched her dad work at removing the training wheels off her bike.

Soon she was sitting on her bike with her father holding her and the bike upright. "Ready?" Jim asks her and starts pushing her.

"Keep the front wheel straight and keep pedaling." And down the street they went.

"You're doing it Katie, you're doing it." Jim sounded happy and Kate was grinning wide. She was riding without training wheels.

Then Jim let go of her. "Keep the wheel straight Katie and keep pedaling." As Jim stopped to watch her.

"Look at me daddy, look at me." Kate was happy and was grinning wide. Then the front wheel turned and Kate and the bike crashed to the ground.

Kate was sitting on the ground crying and holding her leg that was bleeding. The rough road had done a number on her knee.

Kate/Kat reached down and rubbed her knee. Today there was no sign of her injury. It was nice and smooth, as was the rest of her skin now. All thanks to Castle.

It got Kate/Kat to cry a little more. Then she felt Rick stir and was waking up. Soon she could feel his arms squeeze her. "What's wrong?" Kate/Kat had her back to him spooned into his front.

"Kat, tell me what's wrong." Rick whispered into the back of her head and then kissed her head.

"I've been remembering things. Little things." Kate/Kat finally tells him.

"What kind of things?" Rick whispers out conflicted that she's been keeping it to herself and not trusting him enough to tell him with her actually remembering something.

"I remember my mother trying to get me to read your book. … Then I remember my mother reading my acceptance letter to Stanford, …. and tonight was remembering my dad trying to teach me to ride my bike. … There have been a couple of others." Kate/Kat tells him.

"Which book?" That one had his interest.

"Flowers for your Grave." Kate/Kat answers.

"Your mother must be a hard core fan to have read that book. Not one of my better ones." Rick was amazed it was that book.

"Do you know her name? Your mother?" Rick asks, maybe they had a lead if she did.

Kate/Kat however shook her head. "She called me Katie."

"Katie, as in Katherine or Kate maybe?" Rick asks her. If she knew her own name, that would give them something to work with. But Kate/Kat remained silent.

"So what about the Stanford one? That is a college university in California, the other side of the country. Did you used to live there?" Rick tried again.

"I don't know. … It was a letter of acceptance. It had my name on it. It was delivered to me, but I couldn't open it so I got my mother to do it." Kate/Kat tells him.

Rick was interested now. If she knew her name, they could look her up somehow. Find her parents, if they still lived.

"It said Katherine Beckett." Kate/Kat tells him.

"That's great Kat, … I mean Katherine. We can use that to look you up. Maybe find your parents." Rick was all excited.

Kate/Kat however turns in his arms to face him and now he could see the tears in her eyes.

"Can you not please?" Kate/Kat begs him.

"Not find your parents? … Why would you not want to see your parents?" Rick didn't understand. They were one step closer to finding out who she is.

"I mean not Katherine, It's not my name. Not anymore. … Can we keep Kat? It's who I am now. It's what you and Alexis call me, it's what you see me as." Kate/Kat watched Rick use his thumb to wipe away some of her tears.

"It's your real name, why not use it?" Rick didn't understand.

"It's not who I am anymore. I have you and Alexis now, that's who I am now. I'm Kat, not Katherine." That person was gone. This was who she was now.

"Do you know where your parents are?" Rick skipped over the name part. They would talk about that later. Not that he was going to shove her real name down her throat.

Kate/Kat however shook her head. "Was your bike ride downtown like an apartment or was it a house?" There might be a lot of Beckett's.

"I was in the street out in front of the house. Dad got my bike out of the garage." Kate/Kat tells him.

"So a house then. That might help narrow things down." Rick comments softly, trying to figure out how to find them.

"Castle don't, please." Kate/Kat suddenly had a frightened look on her face.

"What? They're your parents, don't you want to see your parents?" Rick was shocked, why wouldn't she want to see her parents?

"Please Castle, promise you won't look for them. … Promise." Kate/Kat searches his eyes, she was sccared.

"But why? Tell me why." If it wasn't a good reason there was no way he wasn't looking.

"I don't know them. They're just flashes of them. I don't even know their names. I can barely even see them. And one of them was about when I was Alexis's age.

What if they don't want me and I don't want to lose you or Alexis. Please Castle, please." New tears started.

"I seriously doubt they wouldn't want you." Rick didn't believe that for a moment.

"Remember where you found me Castle, what I looked like, my addiction. … What if I was like that even then?" Kate/Kat didn't know how long she was like that. What if she was like that before her supposed boyfriend?

Rick thought about it. He didn't think she was like that back then, but it was possible if not probable. And what was she going to call them if she couldn't remember them.

"I'll make you a deal. I am going to look up your name and search for your parents, BUT, I won't contact them until you are ready, and I'll continue to call you Kat even if it isn't your real name. … Deal? … It's the best I'm going to do Kat, since I think you're wrong. … Plus I don't want to lose you either." Rick offers her.

Kate/Kat thinks about it. "You promise not to contact them or get someone else to do it for you?"

Rick cursed to himself, she just had to blow up his plan. "Fine, not until you are ready." Rick moans, since he hated this idea.

Kate/Kat relaxes and leans in to kiss him soundly. "Thank you." What she really wanted was time. Time to find out about herself, her new self and her new life. She also wanted to keep Castle and Alexis and figure out to herself why they meant so much to her.

**One week ago around 4:00 pm:**

Johanna comes rushing in the front door. "Where have you been? You're not even going to be able to get in line let alone an autograph." Jim calls out as he watches his wife charge past him into the bedroom.

She had planned on changing into something more casual, and get out of these work clothes, but she didn't have time. However the high heels came off and on went the first set of sneakers she could find.

Then dashed back out to the living room and picked up her latest copy of Storm Front – Richard Castle.

Then grabbed her husband and out the front door they went only waiting long enough to lock it.

Jim got behind the wheel and watched his wife bouncing because she was nervous. Then she started biting her nails. "What kept you? I thought only a fleet of tractor pull trucks would keep you from getting your book signed." Jim took another quick look at his wife.

"I got shanghaied into a conference call and they just kept talking and talking. It was all about the same thing over and over again. I swear if I had, had a gun I would have shot them.

Then Alan wants to discuss the Pulgotti case." Johanna sighs. They were using up her time.

"I thought you dropped that." Jim could remember that his wife had dropped that case when their daughter disappeared.

"I did, I have. Seems he called from prison again and ending up talking to Alan. He wanted to know if we were picking it back up again." Johanna explains.

"Are you?" His wife had been pretty adamant about looking into the first time.

"No, … Maybe. I don't know. Something smells funny about the whole thing. Except he's a known mobster." Johanna goes back over what they had already talked about once.

"That didn't stop you the first time." Jim points out.

"True." Johanna didn't back down from anyone. His conviction had the taste of something else all over it. Just didn't know what.

"I let Alan do some more digging. If he finds something then maybe I'll look into it again. But for now, … no. I'm out and I've got other clients to fight for. And since there is only one of me, …" Johanna trails off.

"And a good thing too. Not sure this city or this planet could handle another Johanna Beckett." Jim teased.

Johanna glares at him. "Just drive, while you still can."

Jim was grinning. He had gotten in a nice left jab and it hadn't cost him anything. At least not yet. His wife had a long memory and was only too willing to punch his arm a week from now for something he said or did today.

Sort of a play on "I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today."

"I'm going to drop you off at the curb so you can get in line and then go park the car." Jim tells her as they approach the book store Richard Castle was supposed to be in for a book signing.

Johanna only nods, anxious to get out of the car and get in line before she missed him completely. She was after all running late.

Jim stopped the car. "Don't forget your book. … Is that him up there?" Jim pointed.

Johanna looked up and could see her writer just finishing putting his daughter in the back seat and closing the door. Then walk around the back of the car.

Johanna opened her door and started running. Thankful she had at least changed shoes. She got close enough to see a relatively short cut reddish headed woman sitting in the front seat with a dark green dress on that looked expensive, just as he drove off. Leaving Johanna standing on the sidewalk holding her book.

A book that didn't have a Richard Castle autograph in it. "DAMN!" Johanna didn't approve of cursing, but somehow this situation called for it. And walked back to her car dejected.

"Looks like a fan didn't get my autograph." Rick points out as he drives off, since he saw someone running down the sidewalk as he was driving away.

"You can go back. We'll wait." Kate/Kat offered.

"You don't mind?" Rick didn't want to subject them to anymore of this. It had been a long three hours and Gina had been a real bitch the entire time.

"No, I can keep Alexis company. It's only one more book." Kate/Kat tells him.

Rick spots a parking spot just around the corner and parks the car. "I'll only be a minute." And jumps out locking all the doors with his remote and starts jogging back around the corner.

He spots her walking back down the sidewalk and catches up to her just as she reaches her car. "Would you like that signed?"

Johanna turns and is beaming. Face to face with Richard Castle who had chased her down to sign her book after leaving. "Please." Johanna holds out her book.

Rick takes it. "The next one is due out in a couple of months." Rick offers.

"I know, I've already ordered a copy." Johanna tells him.

"Well we'll just have to figure out a way to get that one signed too won't we?" Rick smiles at her, pulling out a pen. "Who do I make it out to?"

"Johanna. … I dragged my daughter to one of your signings once. She was more of a pain than the line was." Johanna could still hear her whining.

"Decided not to bring her with you this time I see." Rick had to tease a little.

"No not this time. … She's missing." Johanna suddenly gets sad.

"I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully you'll find her." Rick started writing.

"The police came close a couple of times. She had only just left that area just before they arrived each time. I seem to be just missing her by a small fraction." Johanna explains, suddenly sorry she was burdening him with her problems.

"Well I hope you find her. Timing is everything." Rick finishes signing her book and hands it back.

"Can I ask who was in the car?" Johanna was curious; they must have come with him.

"My daughter and my, … girlfriend." Rick finally gives a name to their situation. They had been doing everything together like boyfriend/girlfriend except for the sex. And that was only because she wasn't physically ready for that. "Do you want to meet them? You would have seen them if you were in the book store. They were both sitting right behind me." Rick was willing to give her the full treatment all the others got.

"No that's quite alright. I'm sure you three have plans. The evening is young still." Johanna was touched by the offer, but she had already gotten more than she came for.

"If you're sure. … Thanks for stopping by, it was a pleasure meeting you. I really hope you find your daughter." Rick took her hand.

"Thanks, me too." Johanna started blushing like a teenage school girl.

Rick started to turn for his car. "OH, here take this." Rick pulls out a card and hands it to her. "Next time you show up for an autograph, hand the guy at the door this card. He'll move you to the front of the line. Get you in and out quicker." Rick smiles at her.

"Thanks, with my schedule I'll take all the help I can get." Johanna barely made it here this time, and wouldn't have if he hadn't been nice enough to come back.

"Oh, and what could possibly keep you that busy?" Rick was willing to engage in small talk.

"My husband and I are lawyers. I handle mostly individual cases while Jim handles mostly corporate cases or individuals of a corporation." Johanna explains.

"Really, I don't suppose you have a card. You never know when you could use a good lawyer." Two heads are better than one Rick reasons. Plus he hadn't used one or had need of one since his divorce.

Johanna suddenly looks worried. "I was in such a hurry I left my purse at home." Then Johanna has a thought and leans in through the car window. "Can you hand me one of your business cards?"

Jim digs his wallet out of his back pocket and hands one over while Johanna hands it off to Rick.

Rick immediately pockets the card. "Thanks, perhaps we'll meet again. Say the next book signing."

"Oh I'll be there." Johanna was grinning.

Rick turns and heads for his car that is around the corner.

Johanna gets in her car. "Trading phone numbers, smiling like a teenager who has a crush on someone. Perhaps I should get out and explain to him that you are married." Johanna was his girl, not someone else's.

"What!? … No, no need. … However jealousy becomes you." Johanna leans across to kiss his cheek. "Besides he has a girlfriend and his daughter might not approve of me." Johanna flashes Jim a smile.

"I don't know, you're closing argument could use some work counselor." Jim points out that he is not impressed.

"I'll add a rebuttal to my case after we get home." Johanna grins at him.

Neither of them see Rick get back in his car and drive away with his daughter and their daughter in his car.

Johanna opened her book while her husband drove. 'To Johanna, The universe has plans for your daughter. She's perfect. Have faith!. – Richard Castle'


	17. Chapter 17

**CH17**

Since I was soooo mean to everyone last chapter with my little tease, get used to it. I'll make it up to you with a quick update.

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**It was now one week later:**

Fall colors were going to start soon and Rick and Kate/Kat were sitting at the dining room table with Rick's laptop between them.

It was going to be Alexis's birthday in a couple of days and they were planning on how to celebrate it. Alexis wasn't in school yet so she didn't have too many friends yet. And living on a boat in the harbor wasn't helping.

Rick had suggested a family outing. Explore the countryside, see some fall colors, get out of town and have some fun.

The centrally-located Greenbelt Nature Center is a hub for a wide range of Greenbelt activities and programs. Here you may view the Richmond County Savings Foundation exhibits to learn about Greenbelt history, geography, flora and fauna, and current happenings. "Into the Outdoors" public programs includes a range of programs including art workshops, author lectures, performances, etc.

They could stop somewhere for dinner on their way home. Maybe the restaurant would bring out a cupcake with a candle on it or something.

"What did you do for your birthdays?" Rick wondered if she remembered any of them yet.

"I don't know." Kate/Kat switched to staring at the floor.

"Hey, it's alright. Other things are coming back to you. Maybe those will too. Anything on one of your parent's names?" Rick changed subjects. Watching her shake her head. So far it was all mom, dad and Katie.

Rick had done some digging. Katherine Beckett wasn't Jane Doe, but it wasn't one of a kind either. And a call to Stanford hadn't gotten him anywhere either. No social security number meant no records.

And there were Katherine Beckett's from here to Alaska. Granted some were kids and one was almost 90 years old, but since Kate/Kat didn't know her own age or her birthday date, he was working in the dark.

"This should be fun; it'll get both of you off the boat a little, out of town away from the noise and smells. Just wide open spaces and fresh air." Rick was grinning.

Kate/Kat leaned over and kissed him. "Sounds like fun." Kissing him had reignited something that started this morning.

Kate/Kat had woken first to find Rick on his stomach spread out eagle on the bed, hogging most of it. She was on her side hanging onto his arm to keep from falling off the bed. So she had gotten up with the intent of taking an early bath to start her day.

Kate/Kat hadn't started the water running yet but had taken off her clothes and thrown them in the hamper and was standing there staring at herself in the mirror, when suddenly Rick stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her.

"See anything you like?" Rick whispered into her ear as he looked over her shoulder into the mirror. "Maybe now you see what I saw."

Kate/Kat could still make out her ribs, barely. And her hip bone was still prominent, just not as much. And her skin was clear, and her eyes weren't hollow anymore with dark bags under them.

Rick had placed his hands on her hips and started tracing a path up both sides, leaving behind a trail of goose bumps in his wake.

Up her side then his hands moved to her stomach and he switched to use the palm of his hands as her rubbed the area and then felt his hands move up her body until he was cupping both of her breasts in his hands.

"You've gained a few pounds. Now they look fuller and healthier." Rick tells her. Then he pinches both of her nipples at the same time. Getting an inhale of breath from Kate/Kat.

"Castle! … I think I just peed on myself." Kate/Kat was wet and it was a new sensation for her.

Then she watched as Rick ran one of his hands down the front of her body, getting her to shiver as he got lower. Till finally his fingers were in her wetness. "Oh no, you're just fine. Nice and wet, just like you're supposed to be. And I'm going to prove it to you in a week or two, when you are all healed."

Rick moved his fingers around a little getting Kate/Kat to lean her head back and whimper out a low moan, and then his fingers were gone. And she watched him raise his hand and place his wet fingers in his mouth, and suck on them.

"Now turn on the water and hop in the tub. I need to shower and wash Alexis maybe the last time since she is only a few days away from being two, and old enough to wash herself." Rick was thinking it was time to stop. She was growing up.

Kate/Kat spun around in place to face Rick and made sure her now hard nipples were in his chest. "I can wash her if you want." If it was going to be the last time, Kate/Kat wanted to experience it.

Rick looked into her eyes. "If you want. Just remember to not let any soap get in her eyes." Rick had moved his hands so that his arms were holding her tight to him.

Kate also notices one more thing about this morning. There was something poking at her and she started grinning knowing what it was. So she ground her hips into him and felt it get bigger.

"Shower." Rick pulls away. "Nice cold shower." And let's go of Kate/Kat and heads for the shower, while she takes a peek at her handy work as he walks away. Grinning as she turns to the tub to turn on the water. She did that and she was proud of it.

Alexis took having Kate/Kat bathe her in stride, though Kate/Kat found that her help wasn't really needed that much.

The birthday trip had come up on them fast and were soon entering the Greenbelt Nature Center. They wandered around looking at all the displays and Alexis got to sit and test her skills at creating artwork.

"It's a flower daddy." Alexis had stated when Rick had asked her.

"It's gorgeous Alexis, you are really talented." Kate/Kat had spoken up when Rick had kept his mouth shut. It was round in the middle, sort of. With a lot of squiggles around the edge.

The circle was black and the squiggles were blue, red, green and purple. Rick tried to recover. "We'll take it home and put it on the refrigerator so we can see it everyday." It got Alexis to grin and Kate/Kat to kiss his cheek.

Next came walking down a trail to look at the fall colors of the trees.

Rick had bought Alexis a book about trees and now her book was filled with leafs from some of the trees that had fallen. Some were small and some were big, but each one was a different color. Just like Alexis wanted it.

Kate/Kat was silent as she watched the countryside go by.

"Are we there yet?" Kate moaned from the back seat.

"No honey, we have at least another 2 hours." Johanna tells her.

Kate sat quietly for all of 30 minutes. "Are we there yet?"

"No honey, we're only half way there still." Johanna answers her question.

"I'll bet you I can see more red cars before you can see blue cars." Johanna offers to get her mind off of the trip.

"Blue one." Johanna calls out.

"Red one." Kate calls out.

"That was silver Katie." Johanna corrects her thinking she is cheating already.

"It had red seats." Kate challenges.

Well it did have red but that's not what she meant. Sometimes being a lawyer sucked. It was all in the fine print. "Fine." Johanna relents.

After a while Kate was pretty far out in front. Johanna was thinking she should have chosen white cars instead of blue. She'd be waayyyy out in front by now.

"Are we there yet?" Kate moaned again.

"Almost honey, just a few more turns." They were off the main road and had been for a little while now. They had stopped for gas at the last town and had bought a truck full of groceries, since there wasn't going to be much when they got there.

The road was really rough now and filled with pot holes. "Here we are." Johanna tells her.

It was a cabin in the woods with no neighbors for miles. It had two floors with her bedroom upstairs. Her parents bedroom was downstairs. The kitchen was kinda small and the whole place was dusty.

But there was a small lake out back with a wooden boat dock that had seen better days and nothing but trees as far as the eye could see.

"We had a cabin in the woods Castle." Kate/Kat tells him as they are driving home looking for a restaurant to dinner at.

"Do you know where?" Rick turns his head to look at her.

Kate/Kat shakes her head. "No, I just know there was a lake, it was in the middle of nowhere. It had two floors and it was old. I kept asking "are we there yet?"" Kate comments.

"So, little Kat had the dreaded "are we there yet" disease." Rick teases her.

"Shut up." Kate/Kat counters and sticks her tongue out at him. Getting Alexis in the back seat to giggle.

Kate/Kat turns on Alexis in the back to look at her. "Laugh it up fuzzball."

"That's Star Wars! When did you watch Star Wars? We haven't watched it since you've been here." Rick suddenly asks her.

Kate/Kat turns to look at Castle. She has a blank look on her face. "I don't know."

"Luke Skywalker? … Darth Vader? … Yoda? …. Millennium Falcon?" Rick tries a number of names. Only to see Kate/Kat shake her head.

"Captain Kirk? … Enterprise? …. Scotty? …. **SPOCK!**" They both say at the same time.

Rick was grinning at Kate/Kat while she grinned back. She was becoming someone. Maybe not Katherine Beckett. The old Katherine Beckett, but maybe a new Katherine Beckett.

Now he just had to find a way to get her to accept her old name with a new look. And her parents. The possibility that they were dead never crossed his mind.

South Finn Grill

300 Father Capodanno Blvd  
>Staten Island, NY 10305<br>718-878-6501

Rick got Alexis – Lobster Mac & Cheese. And prayed he didn't have to figure out how to make it for her when she fell in love with it.

Kate/Kat – Chilean Sea Bass, at Rick's recommendation.

Rick – Sea Scallops.

Since the restaurant had a water view he stayed with the seafood theme.

They didn't have any cup cakes to put a pair of candles in, but they did have a giant chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream on top that they stuck 2 candles into.

Then every waitress sung happy birthday along with some of the patrons.

Kate/Kat helped Alexis blow out the candles and clapped and kissed her head. While Rick pulled out his phone and took pictures.

Rick went out to the car and waited while Kate/Kat took Alexis to the restroom.

"Did you have fun?" Kate/Kat asked Alexis as they exited the restaurant and found Rick with the car running waiting for them just outside the front door.

"Yup, it's cool Kat." Alexis was grinning.

"Come on pumpkin, let's go home." Kate/Kat bends down and picks her up just as she reaches the door leading outside.

Out at the car Kate/Kat opens the back door to put her in the car seat and secure her in her seat. Just as she is closing the passenger door and Rick drives off as she is securing her seat belt. The front door of the restaurant opens again and a lady comes running outside.

"**KATIE!" **She yells out, while watching the car drive off.

Turning to her friend that was a little behind her. "That was Katie wasn't it? I'm not dreaming?"

Her friend was nodding her head. "That was her and she looked great. Maybe a little thin. But who was the little girl with her?"

"It's been a while since I've had kids, but she looked what? … Two years old." She was guessing.

"You think she's hers?" Her friend asks.

"She's been missing about 2 years." She comments.

"Did you see who she was with?" Her friend asks.

She shakes her head. "By the time it registered who it was she was already at the car and getting in and leaving."

"That BMW she got into isn't cheap." Her friend mentions.

"She was well dressed too." She comments. "But why would she disappear? Because she's pregnant?"

"Johanna would raise the child for her if it meant Kate stayed home. What was she thinking?" Her friend questioned.

"There was a birthday celebration inside. You think that was that little girl's birthday? And where did that hair color come from?" Missing Alexis's hair color could only be achieved if you had your eyes closed.

"Kate's hair does have a hint of red in it. Maybe it's on the father's side." She was only guessing.

"What are you doing?" Her friend asks.

"I'm calling Johanna. She deserves to know that her daughter is at least alive and looks like she is doing well." She dials the number.

"What are you going to tell her about the little girl?" Her friend asks.

She hangs up her phone. "What am I going to tell her? We don't even know it's hers. Maybe it's his."

"She carried the little girl outside, not him." Her friend points out.

She dials the number for Johanna. "I'll tell her we saw her with a child and leave out the 2 year old part."

"And that she was with someone driving an expensive car. … Maybe he used a credit card to pay the bill." Her friend suddenly has an idea.

She hangs up the phone again just as Johanna reaches the phone.

They both go back inside and work to try and find the waitress who was at their table.

He paid in cash and left her a $12 tip. She was tall, a little thin. He was a little broad at the shoulders, handsome, well dressed. Mostly she remembered the little girl. Bright, cheerful, always moving. And that hair color. She had asked about the color. It was natural.

The man was daddy and the lady was cat. "You mean Kate?"

"No, cat." She found it amusing that the little girl called her the name of an animal.

"What about the man they were with?"

His name was just daddy.

"She didn't use his name?"

Not while she was at or near the table, no.

The two go back to their table to finish their meal they had both run from to try and catch Kate. "This makes no sense. …. Johanna said she left with a biker guy. Two years later she shows up with a new name, has a child, is obviously with someone who isn't a biker." She was confused.

"She didn't seem concerned about needing to run away and she was handling the child. They obviously have money." Using the car as a clue.

"She looked fine. Maybe a little thinner than I remember, but certainly healthy. … this makes no sense." She was lost for an explanation.

"Jo would never send her away just because she got pregnant really young. I'm sure Katie knew that. … So why, ….?" Her friend didn't understand either.

She pulled her cell phone back out.

"Who are you calling?" Her friend asks.

"Who do you think?"


	18. Chapter 18

**CH18**

**It was now two weeks later:**

All of Kate/Kat's clothes and shoes had been moved into the master bedroom. Even the need to go to the small bedroom on the other end of the boat was a memory.

Moving her clothes from one bedroom to another had brought up another memory. This one was her mom helping her pack for her first semester of college at Stanford.

Kate/Kat was now telling Rick about every memory she got right after it happened. Rick was soaking up each and every one. Anxious to learn more about her. He even had a few questions.

"Did you fly or drive?" She didn't know. The bags made it out of her room and into the car and that was as far as the memory took her.

"A name for your parents?" Rick was still having trouble narrowing down the sizeable list. Finding out they had a cabin at a lake hadn't been much help. There were lakes everywhere. And she could only remember that everything was green. Meaning it was summer.

It did however eliminate the ones on his list in places like Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Alaska (maybe) and Nebraska. None of those areas had trees like she described, close to a big city, or any city for that matter with a lake nearby.

However all she called them was mom and dad and all they called her was Katie.

"No brothers or sisters?" Kate/Kat could only shrug her shoulders. She didn't remember one and she hadn't remembered her parents talking about one or yelling out for one.

So, only child. That had actually helped a little, but it still left a pretty big list.

"Daddy, can I go riding?" Alexis asks him while he was in his office going over the redline comments that came back from his publisher. That was thankfully clear of any more attempts at getting him to go out with Gina.

His quick phone call to his old publisher, Peter back in L.A. had apparently worked. He had asked Peter to call her and talk to her and not take it upstairs unless Gina didn't back off.

"Sure pumpkin, just take Kat with you so she can watch you. …. And stay away from the edge." Rick yells at her retreating form.

It was getting cooler outside so he jumped up and stepped to the door. "And put something warm on." Rick yells again.

Rick had soon gotten tired of doing re-writes of his book. Gina had ripped it to pieces. He was beginning to wonder if this was her way of getting back at him, so he had started ignoring several of her comments. He was the writer, she was the publisher.

Rick moved on to other matters. What to do for things like Thanksgiving and Christmas. He hadn't talked to Kat about either yet. He doubted that her now improving memory included any of those yet. Thanksgiving could be here on the boat, just invite a few people over.

Christmas on the other hand he didn't know what to do. To go somewhere might mean flying and since Kat didn't have a name or a driver's license, flying was out. Never make it past security.

Traveling to another country like even Canada to the north was out. No ID and no passport meant no traveling very far. So if they did go anywhere for either Thanksgiving or Christmas, it was going to have to be within driving distance.

Maybe they would just stay local and find something to do here.

Kate/Kat was watching Alexis peddle around the dock. It wasn't really overly wide but more than wide enough for her to turn around in a fairly large circle.

She seemed to know that she had to stick with going up and down. From the boat down to where the car was parked. Also where the mail box and trash bin was located.

Kate/Kat had come to realize that the food she was eating out of those large containers was trash. It's just that a lot of it looked good still and it kept her from going hungry.

"Alexis, stay away from the edge." Kate/Kat yelled out and watched her quickly turn away more towards the middle.

On one of her trips she stopped near Kate/Kat. "I'm fast." Alexis was proud of herself.

"Yes you are, very fast." Kate/Kat agreed smiling at her. Then watched her take off peddling for all she was worth.

Kate/Kat stood there watching her little feet go a mile a minute. "AL-, …" That was as far as she got as she watched Alexis, bike and all go over the side.

"**ALEXIS!" **Kate/Kat took off running to where she had disappeared and didn't even think about stopping and just dove over the side after her.

On her way down she saw the bike bob to the surface and caught a glimpse of Alexis before she hit the water with her arms extended and her hands clenched together forming a fist.

Kate/Kat extended her legs the second she felt water and pulled her arms apart and headed for the surface and started looking. The splashing got her attention first so she started swimming until she rammed into Alexis.

Stopping to grab her and hold her head above water while madly kicking her legs below to keep them both above water.

Alexis was still thrashing and coughing and sputtering. "Hang onto me. … Alexis, I need you to grab a hold of me.

That's better, I've got you. … Hang on tight pumpkin." And Kate/Kat started looking around.

The dock was nothing but pilings down the bottom holding the dock up. Maybe the sea wall somewhere. Except it was kinda far.

The bow of the boat had a landing for a future boat if Castle decided to buy one sometime. It was on the other side of the boat and she had to maneuver through all the pilings first to get to it.

Kate/Kat was still only using her legs to tread water, what she needed were her arms. "I'm going to spin and I want you to climb onto my back ok. I want you on my back and grab hold of me. Got it?" Kate/Kat tried to maneuver her around the side of her till she had climbed onto her back.

"Now grab hold of me and don't let go." As soon as she felt Alexis's arms around her neck Kate/Kat took off going slowly doing the breast stroke. Push her arms out in front, then back while kicking her legs.

Kate/Kat pushed herself away from each piling she came to. If she hit one it might dislodge Alexis off of her back. "You ok back there?"

All Kate/Kat got in return was a couple of coughs and Alexis squeezing her hold a little tighter.

Kate/Kat also kept her distance from the boat for the same reason until she could see the steel landing on the other side. "Ok sweetie, I need you to let go so I can get you onto the landing." Kate/Kat tells her.

Kate/Kat grabs hold of the landing with one hand and tries to get Alexis to loosen her hold around her. "You need to let go sweetie. I want to push you up out of the water onto this thing." Kate/Kat tries prying her hands from around her.

Then shoves while kicking hard to get Alexis out of the water and onto the landing. Then Kate/Kat struggles to get herself up out of the water.

Once they are both on the landing Kate/Kat wraps her arms around Alexis who starts crying.

Kate/Kat soon joins her. Alexis was scared and just wanted to be held by someone who loved her. Kate/Kat was frightened out of her mind.

Losing her in a department store had been bad enough, but this was a thousand times worse. Kate/Kat had almost lost her. Alexis was soon shivering because she was cold and wet. Kate/Kat was shivering because her adrenaline was wearing off, and getting cold from being wet.

Except Kate/Kat didn't want to let go of her. If she did she might end up in the water again.

Kate/Kat let go of Alexis just enough to place Alexis's head between her hands and looked her in the eye. "Don't EVER do that again. You scared the crap out of me."

"I'm sorry." Alexis tries to look at the landing they were sitting on. Kate/Kat goes back to holding her tight. "It's alright pumpkin, you're safe now. I've got you, … I've got you." I've got you, I want you and I intend to keep you, … and Castle.

Except Kate/Kat didn't feel alright. She was finding it hard to breath and she was shaking and not just from being cold. She really was scared. She had come really close to losing Alexis and it was breaking her heart. Losing Alexis just wasn't an option.

"I'm cold." Alexis tells her. However she was also wet. And it brought Kate/Kat out of her mind and what she was thinking.

"Yeah, met too. … How about we go up the ladder and get dried off and find someplace warm." Kate/Kat offers.

Rick was working on finding something for them to go do when Christmas rolled around still when he saw Kate/Kat suddenly appear on the bow of the boat, looking like a drowned rat. AND carrying an Alexis who also looked like a drowned rat.

Rick quickly put his laptop back on the desk having had it in his lap and went to open the door leading out to the chicken coop. "What happened?" Rick stepped out and went to wrap his arms around both of them, wet and all.

"We went swimming." Kate/Kat tells him. If she told him what really happened he would just get mad, and Alexis was already scared. She didn't need her dad yelling at her, if he would. He could yell at her later.

"Swimming?" Rick didn't understand. "You're freezing. … Come on down to the bathroom and into the shower. Some hot water should warm you two up."

Rick had them down and in the bathroom next to the master bedroom. It was the biggest of the 4 they had and it had a bigger walk-in shower.

After getting their wet clothes off of them he turned on the shower and cranked up the heat.  
>I'll find you two some dry clothes, and then you are going to tell me what really happened." And Rick left to go find clothes.<p>

Kate/Kat was grinning. He wasn't mad and he wasn't yelling. He really was the kindest, gentlest and caring man she knew. Now how does she keep him? She was already keeping Alexis.

Kate/Kat was rubbing Alexis in the shower trying to warm her up while the hot water cascaded over them. "Feeling better?" Kate/Kat kept rubbing. Seeing Alexis nod her head. But she was silent, maybe too silent.

Kate/Kat kneeled down and looked her in her eyes. "You're alright Alexis, nothing is wrong. You're fine now."

"Not mad?" Alexis whispered out looking at the floor.

"Am I mad at you? Why would I be mad at you? Did you intend to go over the side and into the water?" Kate/Kat asked her. Watching Alexis shake her head.

Kate/Kat hugged her. "I'm not mad at you Alexis, it was just an accident. You're fine. I've got you, I'll always have you."

"Always?" Alexis whispers.

"Yes, always. I was afraid I had lost you and I'm not going to lose you. … Ever." Kate/Kat tells her and can feel Alexis relax a lot and let Kate/Kat hold her closer.

"You warm yet?" Kate/Kat was feeling warmer. Watching Alexis nod her head.

Kate/Kat turns off the water and reaches out to grab a towel and start drying off Alexis. Then wraps the towel around her hair. Then grabs a towel for herself.

Kate/Kat finds clothes for both of them in the bathroom and dressed Alexis first before putting hers on.

Not finding Rick downstairs Kate/Kat carries Alexis upstairs and finds Rick in the kitchen. "Have a seat, the hot chocolate will be ready soon." Rick tells them.

Kate/Kat used the hot cup to warm her fingers, they were still a little cold. Alexis sipped hers until it cooled down a little.

After dinner Rick tucked Alexis into bed and came back into the bedroom to find Kate/Kat standing in front of the full length mirror, looking.

Rick came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her shoulder. "I'm sorry Castle." Kate/Kat deflated.

"What happened?" Rick looked at her in the mirror.

"She was just riding around. Turned away from the edge when I told her. Then she took off really fast trying to prove how fast she was. I don't think she was paying attention to where she was going, just trying to go as fast as she could." Kate/Kat paused trying to think it through.

"Just as I started to yell at her, she went over the side. Going as fast as she could." Kate/Kat paused again.

"I was so scared Castle. … I ran after her and jumped over the side without a second thought. Then swam over to her and carried her over to that boat landing you have." Kate/Kat spun in place till she was facing him, and could still feel his arms around her and she wrapped hers around him. And Rick could see the tears escaping her eyes.

"I was scared out of my mind Castle. I was sure she was going to drown and I was going to die if she did Castle. I've never been that sacred before. … I'm sorry, I should have, ..." But she gets interrupted when Rick kisses her.

Rick presses the kiss and makes it deeper and has his hands roam her body trailing fire on her skin where ever his fingers roam.

Kate/Kat is soon moaning into the kiss as Ricks hands come up to cup her breasts and pinch her nipples.

Five orgasms on her part later she is lying in bed with Rick under the bed sheets with her back spooned into his front. Her legs are bent with his bent right behind them.

Kate/Kat was replaying in her mind what Rick and done to her, for her after that kiss. Her supposed boyfriend had raped her when he was inside her. What Rick had done was anything but that. She had screamed his name out and begged him to go faster and harder.

He had come in her mouth and she had swallowed everything he gave her. While she had, had three orgasms with his head held securely in place between her legs. She had more than liked it, all of it. She had loved it, all of it.

It was taking her a long time to get to sleep. It didn't help that Rick's arm was draped over her body and she was holding his hand in place as it cupped one of her breasts. She could feel her nipple was erect yet again and she was getting a little wet yet again.

Kate/Kat could feel her need to have sex with Castle yet again. However she could hear his even breathing telling her he was asleep. Feel his breath on her skin.

Maybe she could convince him to do it again once, twice or more in the morning, so she concentrated on going to sleep and ignore her hard nipple and wetness between her legs.

Kate/Kat was awake and as she blinked her eyes open she could tell it was still dark out. Rick was still wrapped around her. His hand was still being held in place with hers over her breast. So why was she awake?

Then she saw a pair of blue eyes surrounded by orange hair. "Lexus?" Kate/Kat's mind wasn't awake enough to think clearly. Kate/Kat just stared at her.

"Did you have a bad dream?" She had gone over the side and almost drowned. Then she mentally berated herself for not thinking of Alexis when she went to bed. Though to be honest other things were on her mind.

Seeing Alexis nod her head. "Climb up here pumpkin." Kate/Kat took her hand off of Rick's that was still on her breast under the bed sheets.

After Alexis was up in bed with her back up against Kate/Kat's chest, Kate/Kat draped her hand over her and pulled her in tight. "Better?" Getting a nod of Alexis's head.

"Good night pumpkin." Kate/Kat kissed the back of her head and pulled her in a little tighter and breathed in her scent.

"Night Kat." Alexis yawned while talking and was asleep in a heartbeat.

Kate/Kat however remained awake thinking over what had happened lately.

She had, had a nice day out. Almost lost Alexis and had, had sex with Castle and had completely enjoyed it. And wanted to do two of those things again. And what did it take for her life to stay like this forever?

_"What can I do for you Mrs. Beckett?" The captain had agreed to see her._

_"One of my friends is convinced that she saw my daughter earlier, but couldn't catch up to her before she drove off with someone." Johanna tells him._

_"Where was this and when?" He pulls out his pad to take notes._

_Johanna tells him what her friend told her. "Did she get a license plate?" With no being the answer. "How about a model number of this BMW?" He tries again. Only to get another no._

_"Is it possible the child is hers?" The captain asks her._

_"NO! … Maybe. She would have come to me if she was pregnant." Johanna wanted to believe that she would have anyway._

_"She would have been 17 at the time. Maybe she felt she couldn't." He points out._

_"But you said she was with that biker guy who said he had her hooked on heroin and maybe cocaine. If she had the baby would it have even lived let alone the birth defects?" Johanna asks him._

_That did present him with a problem. She was correct. If she was pregnant while hooked heavily on drugs she was likely to of had a miscarriage and any baby born would have nothing but trouble._

_Certainly not walking around at 2 years old looking perfectly healthy._

_"I'll have someone look into birth records for two years ago for local hospitals, including the ones in Staten Island." It was where she was seen._

_"Is your friend certain it was her?" It was a valid question._

_"Yes, she and her friend both know Katie. They both saw her." Johanna tells him._

_"There are a lot of BMW's in the state let alone the city. Without a model number I'm not sure that is much help. I'll try and get the local Staten Island police to keep an eye open for a BMW with a child that has orange hair._

_However orange hair sounds like a dye job, whatever the reason may be for it." The captain warns her._

_Johanna had to agree. It was a hair color like she had never seen before. At least not a natural hair color._

_Johanna however left depressed. It seemed like she was just missing by just a fraction of finding her daughter. But if her friend was right, then her daughter was alive and doing well._

_Driving around in an expensive car. She was eating, had a daughter and was well dressed. So at least she wasn't suffering. Had she kicked her drug habit? Or was that biker guy lying so he could get a lighter sentence to stay out of jail?_

_So many questions and no answers._

_Johanna was home and reading the note Richard Castle had left her in her book yet again._


	19. Chapter 19

**CH19**

**It was now four weeks later:**

Halloween was tomorrow night and they had plans to take Alexis to one of the local malls since it was a nice safe way to get candy. Candy that didn't have drugs or razor blades in it.

**However one week ago:**

"Why should I get dressed up in a costume? I'm not a child Castle." This was for Alexis's benefit not hers or theirs. Since Castle had plans to wear a costume too.

"It's part of the fun. You get to relive part of your childhood. Play make believe, and it'll help keep strangers from walking up to us asking for my autograph if they are a fan and recognize me. So if we both wear a costume, we just look like any normal married couple out trick or treating with their child." Rick points out.

Kate/Kat's head snapped up. She had only gotten two things out of that statement. Keep the fans away and not harass them. And she knew from the last book signing just how many fans he had. AND she heard the word MARRIED!?

It was at this point she could feel her heart racing as a sudden shot of adrenalin runs through it. Was he thinking of getting, … married?

Kate/Kat wanted to keep both of them, just wasn't ready to get married yet. The thought that he was about to ask was both frightening and had her on cloud 9. Praying that he would ask, just not today.

But what was the frightening part? She wanted both of them with her forever. Losing either of them would ruin her, she knew that much. Was it the commitment of being married?

No, that wasn't it. She felt committed to keeping both of them. And living here on the boat with them. There was lots of space and she liked it here. So what then?

"**I LOVE YOU!"** Suddenly came out of Kate/Kat's mouth. She had come to the realization and it escaped before she could take it back. Now she was cowering as she watches his reaction.

"We could select a theme and all of us could, … What?" Rick had finally caught up with her. Then he stepped up to her and wrapped his arms around and was smiling at her. "Say that again?" Did she mean it?

Kate/Kat had her arms squeezed between them with the palm of her hands up against his chest. The fear of what he would say or do suddenly left her as she looked at his face that was smiling back at her. Though her heart was still pounding in her chest.

"I love you." Kate/Kat tried to make it sound more than just a whimper. Still it was barely above a whisper.

Rick's answer was to kiss her, soundly. After breaking from the kiss and smiling into her lips. "For the record, I love you too." Then his kissed her again, only this time he took his time. Soft and passionate. Leaving both of them breathless when they finally broke from the kiss.

"Movie night tonight? … You, me and my talented fingers." Rick lifts his eyebrows a couple of times.

"I'll be sure to wear my shorts and no bra. Is there going to be popcorn?" Kate/Kat lifted her eyebrows up.

"Of course!" Rick pretended to be insulted. Honestly, a movie without popcorn?

**Present day:**

Rick, Kate/Kat and Alexis were just entering the first store. Rick was dressed in a pin stripe suit with a red tie. He had slicked down his hair and was wearing a fake mustache.

Kate/Kat was wearing a form fitting long black dress that reached the floor where it flared out. She was wearing a very long haired black wig and had on very bright red lipstick.

Alexis was wearing a black and white suit that made her look like a pilgrim and was wearing a black wig that had pigtails.

"Castle, I can barely move in this thing. I can only take tiny steps (which was a pain given her long legs) and this wig itches. " Scratching at it to make a point.

"Yes but you look sexy as hell." Rick counters.

Kate/Kat had seen herself in the mirror and then remembered what Castle had told her. "Oui!"

Rick immediately took her arm. "Tish, you spoke French. Speak some more." And Rick starts kissing her arm starting at her wrist and working his way up.

"Gomez, candy now, savoir faire later." Kate/Kat told him.

Rick stopped. "Yes of course, you are right as always. Perhaps later tonight." Rick smiled at her.

"Last night you were unhinged. You were like some desperate, howling demon. You frightened me. Do it again!" Kate/Kat tells him having fun. Knowing it would only fire Castle up for later tonight. And she was looking forward to it.

"I will have you screaming." Rick kisses her hand. Watching Kate/Kat start to blush knowing that he really could make her scream.

"Daddy?" They were here for candy.

"Candy, right." And into the store they went. And the next and the next.

Rick let Alexis have 3 pieces of candy of her choice that night then he hid the rest while she was eating.

"My dad took me trick or treating and we went from house to house. I just kept going and going until there were no more lights on at any of the houses.

I had this huge bag of candy. I ate about ¼ of it that night. I was sick all night long. It took me almost 3 weeks to eat the rest of it." Kate/Kat tells Alexis.

"You remember your parents?" Rick had heard the last part of it.

"Only a little. It's just bits and pieces. From when I was a little kid to a teenager. It's all a jumble." Kate/Kat explains.

"You're getting there Hun, you're getting there." Rick kissed the top of her head as he sat down with them.

"Hun?" Kate/Kat looks at him.

"Well I'm not going to call you babe or baby. And we both know Kat is not your real name. And we are going to need it if we are to ever get you a driver's license or passport. Without either of those we can't fly anywhere." Rick points out.

"It's just I don't feel like a Katherine Beckett. That person went away when I became addicted. And if I become her again I might lose the two of you. … The life I have now." Kate/Kat didn't want to be her.

"Maybe that will change as more of your memory returns. And you're not losing us. We both love you. Don't we pumpkin?" Getting Alexis to nod her head enthusiastically.

"See, decision made. How about some hot chocolate to take the chill off and then it's bedtime for you young lady." Rick rises and heads for the kitchen.

Rick tucked Alexis into bed and kissed the top or her head. "Did you have fun pumpkin?" Rick had done what he could to make it memorable and entertaining for her.

Getting Alexis to nod her head. "Daddy is Kat staying?"

"Of course she is staying. Why would you think she would be leaving?" Rick didn't understand where the question came from.

"Is she going to move back to her parents?" Alexis has fears.

Rick opened his mouth to respond and then closed it when he didn't have an answer. He did want to find her parents so she could get re-connected with them. But did that mean she would leave?

"How about we ask her in the morning? How would that be?" Rick could use some backup to get her to stay with them.

"Will Kat be mommy?" Alexis asks a simple question. Well simple for her anyway.

Rick was getting in deep now. "Do you want a mommy?" Let's try that question on for size first.

"Stories have mommies and daddies." Alexis was too young for school and meet a lot of other kids her age.

"That's true, most stories about families have moms and dads. …. How about you leave that question for me to ask her. When Kat is ready she can give us an answer.

Now go to sleep." And Rick kisses her head again. "Good night pumpkin, I love you."

"Luv you too daddy." As Alexis snuggles into her bed.

Rick returns to their bedroom and finds Kate/Kat standing in front of the mirror again without any clothes. Looking at herself.

Slipping in behind her Rick slides his hands around her and hugs her close. "Do you see what I saw now?" Until she saw what he sees, he wasn't going to push her any.

However the look on her face was his answer. Her skin was now clear. As was her face. Her hair was growing out and getting longer and it was losing some of its redness in color as it did.

The lines in her face were almost gone. There wasn't an ounce of hair on her body except for her eyebrows and her head. You could still make out her pubic bone and still make out a couple of ribs.

Her breasts were becoming fuller and fuller as she added weight. Kate/Kat even had a minor amount of make-up on her face like she had been taught.

"You know that I love you, even if you don't yet see what I do." Rick comments smiling into the mirror, and watches in the mirror as his hands slowly work their way up to cup each breast in his hand.

"Oui. Je t'aime aussi." Kate/Kat tells him and places her hands on his over her breasts.

"Prepare to scream my love." As Rick starts kissing her shoulder before moving onto her neck.

Come morning they were all sitting at the little bistro table in the kitchen just finishing breakfast. Rick was still making two different breakfasts. One for him and Alexis and one for Kate. As usual her's was meant to help her gain weight while giving her more vitamins. Along with her usual vitamin gummy.

**It was now one week later:**

"You two have any ideas for today?" Rick was ready to get off the boat and go do something.

"Museum?" Alexis offers.

"Oooooo, another big game safari experience." Rick was trying to read her mind. Getting Alexis to nod her head enthusiastically.

However he could see the 'What?' look on Kate/Kat's face.

"Alexis has a small backpack that she uses, while I have my own and we use the exhibits to create our own adventures. Spying on the people who are hunting the animals (general public) or we act like we are following the tracks of various animals or dinosaurs." Rick explains.

"We need to get you a backpack with your own kit inside. We can to that along the way. Then we break for lunch and get back to the safari." Rick adds.

It's 10:00 am and they are just inside the entrance. "We have only a few rules. Alexis is not allowed to get out of my, our sight at any time. It gives her some independence but not put her in any danger.

We meet at the T-Rex in case any of us manage to get lost. There is always a security guard in or near that room and he knows Alexis. … So 2 hours and we break for lunch. Which is the reason for the picnic basket in the car." Rick explains.

"Got it." Kate/Kat confirms the rules.

"Here is the map of the museum since this is your first safari. We wouldn't want you getting lost." Rick hands over the pamphlet map.

Rick with his walking stick in hand took off in one direction while Alexis was so used to this that she did the same with her stick. Kate/Kat now sure how this works followed a little behind her. Not willing to let her out of her sight.

It took about an hour of watching Alexis and Rick do it before Kate/Kat got the hang of it.

"Kat, see trail?" Alexis was pointing out a trail on the floor.

"I do pumpkin." It was actually a trail of used shells, but it was a trail.

"You follow that way and I'll follow it that way." Kate/Kat suggests after looking up to see Rick on the far side using his magnifying glass on something.

Alexis was following her trail when she walked into some guys legs. "Sorry." And moved around him to follow her trail.

"Are you lost? There are guards around her somewhere." They guy offers.

"No I'm following my trail." And Alexis goes back to following her trail. When suddenly she finds herself in the guys arms after he had picked her up.

Just as she was about to cry out he slapped his hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. Alexis immediately started to struggle in his arms.

"Stop fighting or I'll be forced to hurt you." The guy whispers in her ear.

Alexis's response is to bite one of his fingers over her mouth, hard, drawing blood.** "Owe!"** And yanks his hand away to shake it and suck the blood from the bite.

"**MOM!"** Alexis screams out only to have his hand clamp over her mouth again and Alexis can feel him start to carry her away towards some side door.

The next thing Alexis knew was she was on the floor with the guy lying on top of her. Then the guy was off of her. Looking up she could see Kate/Kat standing next to her with the guy struggling to his feet up against the wall.

"**Run pumpkin!"** Kate/Kat motions where she wanted her to run. **"RUN, NOW!"**

Alexis jumped up and started running while yelling. **"DADDY!"**

Kate/Kat waited for him to move and give her an opening. The guy stepped up and took a wild swing that Kate/Kat saw coming and partially blocked while stepping out of the way. Then took her own swing for his face with everything she had.

Her shot sent him staggering backwards and shaking his head to clear the cobwebs. Then the guy rushed her after recovering and tackled her to the ground. Kate/Kat hit the hard floor on her back and then the back of her head hit the floor, making her see stars.

Kate/Kat could just barely make out that he was getting ready to hit her hard with his fist when suddenly he was gone.

Kate/Kat slowly started getting up to take another swing at this guy. However what she saw was Rick kneeling over the guy on the floor pounding away at his face. Blow after blow.

Alexis was sitting in one ambulance with Rick sitting on the end of the same ambulance while an EMT was wrapping his hand after tending to it. Kate/Kat was standing right behind the EMT watching him do his job.

"You've got some bruising and your hand is going to hurt for a few days, but nothing is broken. For the record the other guy looks a lot worse." The EMT guy tells him.

"GOOD, he deserves it." Rick responds getting Kate/Kat to grin.

Kate/Kat was holding Alexis in her arms when the one of the police came up to them again. "Mr. and Mrs. Caste we have your statements and we are getting copies of the video coverage that took place. He's a known sex offender who likes little girls about 3 years old. We're guessing it was her hair color that got his attention.

You three are clear to go for now. A detective will likely contact you later to ask more questions and/or give you an update on him." The officer tells them.

Rick had decided not to correct him about Kate not being Mrs. Castle. They didn't have an ID for Kate yet so it seemed like the thing to do. And Kate was too busy holding onto Alexis to notice he had referred to her as Mrs. Castle.

Rick watched Kate/Kat sit with Alexis in the back seat and watched her carry Alexis up and into the boat and was sitting with Alexis in her lap sitting on the sofa in the living room.

Alexis hadn't said a word and Rick could see Kate/Kat shaking all the way. Rick disappeared into the kitchen for a moment and came back with two small sifter glasses and a juice box. Handing the box to Alexis and the glass to Kate/Kat.

"Here you two drink this." Rick sits on the sofa next to Kate/Kat and can feel her still shaking, watching both of them drink while he drinks his down in one big swallow. He needed it. His nerves were pretty much doing what Kate/Kat's were doing.

"Castle, I was scared out of my mind. I heard Alexis cry out and saw her in some guys arms while she's fighting him. She means too much to me. You both do. … I love her, … and you." Kate/Kat squeezes Alexis into her and kisses the back of her head.

Rick kneeled down to look at his daughter who was still sitting in Kate/Kat's lap with her arms around her. "Are you alright pumpkin?" She hadn't said a word.

Kate/Kat waits a moment to hear her response, but when she doesn't get one. "Please pumpkin, we both love you. You need to talk to us." Kate/Kat whispers in her ear.

"You're mad at me." Alexis barely whispers out.

Kate/Kat goes stiff. Why would she think that? Plus the look on Castle's face told her he was just as shocked. Rick recovered first. "Why would you think that?"

"You told me not to talk to strangers." Alexis comments.

"Yes I did, did you talk to him?" Rick tried to find the answer.

Alexis nodded her head. "What did you do pumpkin." Rick asked her.

"I told him I was following a trail." Alexis responds.

"And then what?" Rick tried to move her along.

"And then he grabbed me, and I bit his hand over my mouth." Alexis explains.

"That's my girl." Kate/Kat kisses the back of her head.

Alexis however twists to look at Kate/Kat. "You're not mad at me?"

Now Kate/Kat was confused, really confused. "Why would I be mad that you bit his hand that was over your mouth?" This wasn't getting either of them closer.

Kate/Kat suddenly sat up straight and looked out into space. "Kat?" Rick asked her having seen it.

"You bit his hand so you could yell and then I showed up and tackled him and, ….." Kate/Kat trailed off.

"And that's about when I showed up. He was getting ready to hit you, …." Rick is interrupted by what Kate/Kat says that gets him to stop.

"You didn't use my name. … You called for mom." Kate/Kat whispers out.


	20. Chapter 20

**CH20**

"Are you mad at me?" Alexis only had the one worry. Not that the man had taken her, not that the police were involved, not that she hadn't talked to them about any of it. Just this.

Kate/Kat squeezed her close which forced Alexis to turn back around and face her father who was kneeling on the floor in front of her sitting in Kate/Kat's lap.

"Why do you think she's your mommy?" Rick asks her.

"Stories about families have a mommy and a daddy." Alexis responds. It sounded simple to her.

Kate/Kat was still holding her tight while staring at Castle who had started staring back at her.

"How about you go play pumpkin and let mommy and daddy talk, then we can have dinner." Rick offers.

"Go on pumpkin, we're not mad at you, it's just that we need to talk." Kate/Kat tells her and kisses the back of her head, then sets her down on the floor.

Alexis leaves a little uncertain, however her dad had used the word mommy, so she felt better. Or maybe hopeful would be a better word.

After she was on the far side of the room. "Kat, …." However Kate/Kat interrupts him.

"This is the third time I've almost lost her Castle. A simple store, riding her bike over the side and now some sexual pervert. I'm not losing her Castle. …. I'm not!" Kate/Kat tries to put her need to keep Alexis in her life into the look on her face.

"If that means I have to let her call me mom, I can live with that. Maybe someday I'll actually feel like her mother. My memory, such as it is, tells me I'm 19 and that seems young to have a 2 year old child. …. If you'll let me." Kate/Kat knew Alexis wasn't hers. Not by birth and certainly not legally.

Rick stayed down on his knees and shuffled forward and spread Kate/Kat's legs apart to get in closer.

"I only need to know one thing Kat or Katherine or Kate or Katie. Do you love her?" Rick was in really close looking into her eyes.

"I've almost lost her 3 times Castle. The first one scared me. The second was worse, but this one almost ripped my heart out. … So yes, I love her. Someone bad had his hands on her Castle, and all I wanted to do was save her. No matter the cost." Kate/Kat decided on telling the truth. Alexis was his and not hers. At least not yet.

"I'll make you a deal. We need your real name to get your records. High school, college, etc.. We need a driver's license and a passport with your real name on it. Even if you still don't feel like being Katherine Beckett, we need that history.

We can change your name easily enough, I did. My real name is Richard Alexander Rodgers. It was changed to Richard Edgar Castle since my publisher thought Rick Rodgers sounded like some cartoon character." Rick explains.

Kate/Kat can suddenly see herself sitting on the floor just a foot or two away from the TV, watching some cartoon.

"Roger Ramjet." Kate/Kat whispers out.

"What?" Rick asks, puzzled.

"It was a cartoon show when I was little. I was sitting right in front of the TV watching it. I can hear my mom tell me to not sit so close, but I didn't move." Kate/Kat explains.

Roger Ramjet is a patriotic and highly moral — if not very bright — hero, who is typically out to save the world, with help from his Proton Energy Pills ("PEP"), which give him "the strength of twenty atom bombs for a period of twenty seconds". The world is invariably saved by dispensing violence towards the various recurring criminals who populated the series.

"You're remembering more." Rick points out smiling at her.

"Except it's all jumbled about. One time a teenager going off to college and the next I'm not even 5 years old." Kate/Kat moans.

"Castle, who is Alexis's mother?" If Alexis was going to call her mom, it seemed like information she needed to know.

Rick moved in closer until his lips were just a fraction away from hers. "Her name is Meredith." Rick was whispering into her lips.

"Before her I was involved with a woman named Kyra. I was in love with her. I even asked her to marry me. Her response was to tell me she needed time and space to give me an answer. Her idea of space was to move to Europe and I've never seen or heard from her since.

Then I met Meredith and she was nothing like Kyra. It was just going to be a fun fling. Then she came home one day and told me she was pregnant, and wanted an abortion." Rick paused when he heard Kate/Kat suck in her breath.

For Kate/Kat the thought of there not having even been an Alexis pissed her off. And scared her to her very core. A love that almost wasn't.

"I married her as a way to keep her from getting an abortion. Meredith however didn't let me have anything to do with the pregnancy. I came home one day to find her gone and watched her come home 2 days later with a baby in her arms. Handing off the baby to me and telling me to go downstairs and pay the taxi driver.

Meredith never had anything to do with Alexis. I came home to find Alexis crying with a very dirty diaper and starving. After taking care of Alexis I found Meredith in our bed having sex with some guy.

I kicked him out, butt naked and screamed at Meredith.

Two days later I was handed divorce papers. Meredith took the house and some money and I got Alexis.

Then I moved out here from L.A. and haven't seen or heard from her since. She had no interest in her own child." Rick gives the short version.

Kate/Kat meanwhile after he stops talking uses each hand to wipe away her tears. "She almost killed Alexis." Kate/Kat whispers out.

As much as Alexis meant to her even if she didn't give birth to her, the mere thought that Alexis almost wasn't was too much to take.

Kate/Kat takes one of her wet hands from her tears and places it on the side of Castle's face and look into his eyes. "I do love her Castle and I do want her, even if her birth mother doesn't. I'll even fight for her if I have to."

"We need your history Kat. Even if it's a name you don't think is yours, and maybe one day when more of your memory returns you'll feel more like her. But it's just a name and you have a past. One before all this happened.

I'm not taking you from your parents, any more than I'm taking Alexis from you. I know you love her, and it sounds like your parents loved you. Everything you've remembered and told me so far has all been happy times.

I don't have a problem with Alexis calling you mom. She's never even met Meredith and I don't have any pictures of her either. Nor have I told her much about her mother. … well, her birth mother anyway.

So, …. If you're willing to let her call you mom I don't have a problem with that, but I intend to find your parents Kat, Kate, Katherine, Katie. I promised I would help you if you let me. And I intend to keep that promise. Even if you don't agree at the moment.

But just think for a moment, when you lost Alexis in that store you were ready to take the store apart brick by brick to find her. What if your parents are doing the same?" Rick searches her eyes.

Kate/Kat could feel his point. What if her parents loved her as much as she loves Alexis? Even if she barely remembers them. Kate/Kat decides to answer his question by kissing him.

After breaking from the kiss. "Good, now go play with your daughter while I fix dinner." Rick gives her a quick kiss and heads for the kitchen. And once there he pulls out his phone and scrolls for the right number. "High Steve, its Rick. I have something for you to do for me." And Rick proceeds to list off the items he wants taken care of.

Not that it was going to be easy since all he had was the name Katherine Beckett. But maybe that was enough, legally.

**It was now 3 weeks later:**

Kate/Kat was in the living room playing with Alexis. Both of them hadn't told Alexis she could or couldn't call her mom. They left it to Alexis on when she wanted to call Kate/Kat mom.

They had all gone shopping last week looking for new clothes. One Alexis was still growing and seemed to always need bigger sized clothes, while Kate/Kat only had what Rick had bought her so far, and obviously needed more.

It was on one of these trips when Alexis had come out of the fitting room wearing what Kate/Kat had picked out for her. "WOW, it looks good on you." Kate/Kat was smiling wide.

Alexis had run across to crash into Kate/Kat who was sitting in a chair waiting for her. "Thanks mom."

It had been the first time since that one day and she hadn't repeated it since then however. Kate/Kat hadn't corrected her nor had she encouraged her to call her mom. Rick and Kate/Kat were willing to let it develop naturally.

They both needed to feel comfortable with being called mom and calling Kate/Kat mom.

Right now Kate/Kat had been banished from the kitchen while Rick cooked their Thanksgiving Day dinner.

Rick had invited his mother; however she had a show in another state to do. It wasn't a big part like some of her earlier ones. But that didn't seem to bother her in the least. She was doing what she loved. It was only now that Rick had talked to Kate/Kat about her. Kate/Kat had found out her name was Martha.

The only person that was showing up was Lanie, since her and her mother were still fighting. Kate/Kat had only seen her a few times. This was going to be the first time in a few weeks.

As soon as she had shown up Lanie was instantly banished to the living room with the others.

"Is he always like this?" Kate/Kat asked Lanie while sitting with her watching Alexis play.

"I didn't make it here last year, but the year before? … Yea, he's serious about his holidays. Just be happy that he didn't ask you to dress up like an Indian or a pilgrim." Lanie laughs, for her answer.

"Like Halloween." Kate/Kat was catching on.

"He got you to dress up didn't he?" Lanie grins at her. Getting Kate/Kat to nod her head.

"As what?" Lanie was curious.

"Morticia." Kate/Kat answers.

"Aaahhh, Addams Family. Did he have you speak French too?" Lanie understood Rick and loved him in her own way, just not like Kate/Kat did.

"Oui." Kate/Kat responds.

"I see he's sucked you into his 12 year old little boy persona." Lanie however wasn't interested in that part of him.

"He knows how to have fun in almost anything. It's kinda cute in a way. He tries so hard to make me happy and make me open up. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't." Kate/Kat explains.

"Has he explained why he picked you up and kept you instead of dropping you off at a hospital?" Lanie was still curious about that.

"No, he hasn't, but we haven't talked about that day much. … Should he have?" Kate/Kat still had doubts about her place here.

Lanie shook her head. "He hasn't talked to me about it much either. … You seem to be good for him. He seems happy to have you here." Lanie has noticed a change in him.

"I love him, both of them." Kate/Kat twists to look at Alexis. "Alexis means so much to me. After all that's happened to her in such a short time, …. I feel the need to hold her in my arms constantly. I can see her playing, but she's not over here letting me crush her in my arms.

Is it a new addiction?" Kate/Kat was suddenly concerned.

"Is love an addiction? Will your heart break if you lose someone? Love can make you fly and make you crash.

There are differences between this addiction and the one you had. Love is a choice you make. You love Alexis and you love Rick. But answer this question. Is the love of both of them the same for the same reason?" Lanie looks at Kate/Kat expecting an answer.

Kate/Kat takes a moment to look at Alexis playing on the far side of the room then twists to where Rick is on the other side of the wall in the kitchen cooking. She can't see him but she knows without a doubt that is where he is.

Kate shakes her head to answer the question.

"Your other addiction was to a drug. It gave you something for a short period of time. But you don't need to smoke or inject love to feel it.

When you convinced yourself that you loved Alexis, did it fade and until you felt the need to smoke it again?" Lanie has still another question.

Kate/Kat went back to watching Alexis. She knew she loved Alexis now and would love her when she went to bed and still would in her sleep and when she woke up again tomorrow. It never seemed to stop. So Kate shook her head again.

"Your other addiction affected you up here." Lanie taps her head. "This addiction affects you here." Lanie taps her chest over her heart.

"Your drug addiction was a fake for what love gives you. You had to buy your drugs. But you have learned to open your heart and let their love enter yours and give love in return.

That precious little thing over there only knows love and not pain. And I pray to god it will always be that way." Lanie loved Alexis too and would do a lot to help protect her.

"She's started calling me mom." Kate/Kat comments.

Lanie twists to look at Kate/Kat with that information. "How does that make you feel?" Lanie was dying to hear the answer to that question.

"Scared, … happy, …. worried." Kate/Kat was conflicted actually.

"About what exactly?" Lanie pushed. Maybe she could get Kate/Kat to see.

"I'm broken. … my memory is spotty. I don't even really know how old I am. Castle is guessing 19 or 20, and it seems about right. Alexis is 2, I would have had to be a child to of had her. Loving her and being her mother feels different somehow." Kate/Kat confides.

"Kat, Kate, Katherine, whatever, everyone is broken in one way or another. Your young still and don't feel you have the experience to be a mother. However I've got news for you. There isn't a woman alive that has experience of being a mother for their first child.

As for your memory loss, don't let it bother you. Just be who you are now and make those your memories. Maybe you'll get more of them back and maybe you won't. What you are doing now is what is shaping you.

I heard about what you did when Alexis got lost, rode her bike over the edge and what happened at the museum. What you did is precisely what any good mother would have done. The fear of what could have happened or what has yet to happen is par for the course.

You love her. You worry about what will happen to her and you want to help her all you can. …. Kat." Lanie puts a hand on her to get her attention. "Young or old, you are the perfect mother for her." Lanie tries to put some truth behind her words.

They are interrupted when Rick stands in the door opening. "Dinner is ready ladies." Rick calls out.

"Come on pumpkin time get washed up and go eat." Kate/Kat calls out.

"Spoken like a real mother." Lanie grins at Kate/Kat. Love and caring in one simple sentence.

"Just remember honey, she and you will never be this young again." Lanie heads for one of the bathrooms to wash up.

That comment stopped Kate/Kat dead in her tracks and watched Alexis walk to the other bathroom to wash up.

Kate/Kat stepped into the dining room and stopped dead in her tracks, again. "My god Castle, we'll be eating leftovers till next Thanksgiving." It was a really big table with a baby grand piano on the far end, and he had filled almost half the table with food.

"I may have over done it, …. Just a bit." Rick held up his hand and held his forefinger just a fraction above his thumb.

Kate/Kat mimicked his gesture and then widened the gap between them greatly.

Rick lifted up Alexis and placed her in her booster seat at the head of the table, with Rick on one side and Lanie and Kate/Kat on the other.

Rick took one of Alexis's hands and reached across to take one of Kate/Kat's. Lanie took Alexis's other hand and then took Kate/Kat's hand.

Rick starts. "I'm thankful for a lot of things. My writing, my daughter, my friends and family whom I love and love me back."

Lanie speaks up next. "I'm thankful for the job I have. I get paid to do what I love. The love of my new friends and my family, even if I am mad at my mother at the moment."

Kate/Kat spoke up next. "I'm happy for my new friend." Kate/Kat squeezes Lanie's hand. "My new friends that I love so much, and for my new daughter that wants to call me mom." Kate/Kat grins at Alexis.

Alexis lets go of everyone and squeals and climbs down as fast as she can so she can run around the table and crash into Kate/Kat. Who catches her and lifts her up into her lap and squeezes her tight.

"Pumpkin?" Rick asks her.

"Ooooo, I love my daddy and my new mommy. … Oh and Nana and grams." Alexis adds her thanks.


	21. Chapter 21

**CH21**

It took forever to clean up from all of Rick's cooking and almost as long to put what Rick didn't get Lanie to take home with her into the refrigerator. They were going to have leftovers for days.

Kate/Kat felt like rolling herself down the stairs and into bed. "I eat one more thing and I'm going to burst." She was sure of it.

"You mean like that one guy in that Kurt Russell movie. Where he was a truck driver who had his rig stolen, …." It was on the end of Rick's tongue. What was its name?

"BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA!" They both say at the same time. It had both of them grinning.

"Your memory is improving. It had these two women who had green eyes." Rick steps in close and wraps his arms around Kate/Kat and looks into her green eyes.

"And the bad guy had them hypnotized." Kate/Kat comments.

"Are you trying to suggest that I'm a bad guy?" Rick whispers into her lips.

"I don't know, are you a bad guy?" Kate/Kat grins at him.

Rick suddenly pulls her in tight getting an "Uhmph" out of her. "Let's find out." And then Rick kisses her.

They are all sitting at the little bistro table in the kitchen eating breakfast. It's too cold to eat outside on the roof deck and the dining room table feels too big for just 3 people eating breakfast, so, ….

"Don't forget I have a book signing in three days. This time it is 2 different stores. Thankfully both are here in New York. You still want to come? I know how boring it can be to just sit there and watch me be nice and sign book after book." Rick asks Kate/Kat.

"Is Gina going to be there again?" Kate/Kat was learning to hate her.

"Don't remind me. … And yes, she will be there." It was the only part of the book signing that he wasn't looking forward to.

"Then yes, Alexis and I will be there to back you up. Someone has to protect you from the wicked witch of the West. … Right pumpkin?" Kate/Kat turns to look at Alexis, who is nodding her head enthusiastically with her mouth full of cereal.

"Beep, beep, zip bang!" Alexis slams her hand down on the table.

"ACME products, gotta love um." Rick grins at his daughter who giggles.

While it sounded a bit violent, dropping a safe on Gina's head was just what Kate/Kat would like to do. _Wait! I remember the road runner and the coyote!_

"Wile E. Coyote – Super Genius." Kate/Kat was grinning because she remembered something.

"And your mom and dad's first name is? …." Rick tried since she suddenly seemed to remember something.

Kate/Kat opens her mouth, but nothing comes out. Undaunted she tries again. However still nothing comes out. She can almost feel it, like she knows but just can't find it. And closes her mouth and sits there dejected.

Rick reaches across and takes her hand. "We're getting there. Just give it some time. Not likely you forgot in an instant, so likely not going to remember in an instant."

"I can remember cartoons, but not my own parents." Kate/Kat moans.

"Does it feel like they mistreated you?" Maybe it was a blockage to forget bad times.

Kate/Kat shakes her head. "I felt happy when dad was pushing my bike or when I got my letter for Stanford." Kate/Kat doesn't think it was that.

"Maybe we'll get lucky." Rick could only hope.

Kate/Kat tried to look at him like she didn't believe him. "Lucky like what got me into this in the first place?"

"Lucky like what got you out of it." Rick nods his head towards Alexis. It got Kate/Kat to smile and lean to her left far enough to kiss the top of Alexis's head.

**It was now 2 days later:**

Kate/Kat and Alexis were not all dressed up this time. Since it was 2 book stores one after the other, Kate/Kat and Alexis had fought to dress comfortably.

The two of them were sitting behind Rick with the wicked witch of the West standing off to one side whispering out a curse. "The wicked witch is talking mom." Alexis warns her.

"Don't worry pumpkin, we have our talismans. She can't touch us." Kate/Kat comments and watches Alexis rub her little leather bag hanging from her neck.

Kate/Kat had given it to her, telling her it was filled with special magical items that would keep the spells of the wicked witch from affecting them.

"Where's yours?" Alexis countered and watched Kate/Kat pull out another one and place it around her neck. "Nothing to worry about. Just remember your dad is immune to her spells."

Alexis however never took her eyes off of the wicked witch since she didn't trust her.

Kate/Kat spent most of her time watching the people come up and talk to Castle who would talk to them a little and then sign their book. Over and over again. Kate/Kat was starting to notice a pattern, most of them were women. True there were a number of guys, but it was mostly women.

They were done with the first book store and Kate/Kat had taken Alexis to the restroom before moving on to the next book store.

"Let's go Richard, we need to get to the next store." Gina comes up and tells him.

"We have just over an hour to get there, relax. Besides we need to wait for Kat and Alexis." Rick counters.

Gina mumbles to herself. "They can catch up, let's go." And Gina takes his arm. However Rick doesn't move.

"We're waiting Gina, get over it." Rick tells her. Wishing he still had Peter from L.A. here instead of her.

"I still don't see what you see in the flat chested bitch." Gina couldn't take it. She was so much more woman that this Kat.

Rick glared at her and pulled out his phone and scrolled until he got the name he wanted, and waited for him to answer his phone.

"Hi Peter, Rick. You got a couple of minutes? …. Great! I need to talk to you about my publisher I've been assigned to me out here. …. Yea, she's still giving me trouble. She just suggested that I leave my daughter behind and let her catch up to me at the next book store for a signing since we are finished with this one. …. Yes, she did!" Rick glares at Gina who was still just a couple of feet away from him.

"Richard!?" Gina grabs his arm. However Rick just shakes it off.

"I have an out clause with Black Pawn after the first two books. The second one is going to hit the stores in a couple of weeks. …. Yes, that's the reason for this mini local signing tour." Rick watches the shocked looked on Gina's face.

"Richard. I'm sorry, ok!" Gina takes his arm again.

"How would you like coming out to New York and take her place, or give me a guy who is local that is just as good as you?" Rick offers.

"That didn't work last time Peter, obviously." Rick looks sky word and then down at Gina.

"Richard!?" Gina tries again.

"Got it Peter, thanks. And I expect combat pay if this keeps up any longer. How are the beaches?" Rick changes topics, happy with what comes next.

"Seriously! And she didn't get arrested? And what did you do?" Rick asks him, getting ready to laugh at Peter's expense.

"You be careful out there Peter, she sounds dangerous." Rick laughs. "Remember to send me a wedding invitation." Rick teased and was still laughing when he hung up the phone.

"Richard, I'm sorry. That wasn't necessary." Gina tells him sounding mad and scared at the same time.

"I did ask Gina, and so did Black Pawn. I'm waiting for Kat and my daughter and we'll meet you at the next book store." And Rick walks off, just not very far since he needed to be close for when Kate and Alexis came back.

Rick watched Gina stomp off and then answer her cell phone after it started ringing.

"Mr. Castle?" A new voice called out.

"Johanna isn't it?" Rick was happy to see her.

"I thought I had missed you, I'm running late today." Johanna tells him. This time she came from work without her husband who works in a different building now.

"Well a few more minutes and we would be gone. I'm waiting for my girlfriend to come back from the restroom with my daughter." Rick explains.

"I somehow seem to keep missing her." Johanna was bummed.

"You can wait with me. I love both of them very much. I'm sure they would like to meet you." Rick offers.

"That would be nice but I have a meeting I need to get back to. I was hoping that little card you gave me would get me in and out real fast so I didn't miss it." Johanna tells him having to come and run.

"Well I won't keep you then," And takes her book, "How goes the hunt for your daughter?"

"You remember that?" Johanna was shocked.

"I'm a father." Rick states the obvious.

"Of course, how silly of me." Johanna grins and starts to blush at being so stupid. "A pair of my friends say they saw her in Staten Island. She was helping her daughter get into a waiting car and then she drove off before they could stop her." Rick could hear the anguish of just missing her in her voice.

"Timing is everything Johanna, timing is everything." Rick signs her book and hands it back. "I hope you find her soon. I can't believe the pain you must be in. How long has she been missing now?"

"Almost 2 years." Johanna is deflated. It felt like she was never going to see her again.

"My daughter is two. She's grown up a lot in 2 years. Missing those two years would kill me." Rick could feel her pain.

"Well I need to get going. Thanks." Johanna lifts up her signed book.

"You are more than welcome. … Oh I need another business card." Rick gets her to stop.

"What happened to the one my husband gave you?" Johanna was sure he already had one.

"I put it in my pants pocket and then I put my pants in the wash, …." Rick trails off and scrunches up his face.

"And turned it into a soggy piece of confetti." Johanna started grinning, trying not to laugh.

"Something like that." Rick agrees.

Johanna opens her purse and fishes out a new card. "Don't put it in your pants pocket this time."

Rick takes it and pulls out his wallet and puts in it instead. "Now I have to hope I don't get mugged." Rick jokes.

"Well it is New York." Johanna counters.

Rick grins. "Have a pleasant Christmas Johanna."

"You too Mr. Castle." Johanna smiles back.

"Call me Rick. If we're going to keep meeting like this it seems only fair. Besides my girlfriend calls me Castle and my daughter calls me dad. Someone needs to call me Rick." Rick jokes.

"I'll see you for your next book Rick. I still have your card." Johanna holds it up. Smiles at him and walks away.

It's another few minutes before Kate/Kat returns with Alexis so they can move on to the next book store.

Gina was silent except for a few short brief conversations that dealt strictly with the book signing.

Kate/Kat tried to keep Alexis entertained even if it was a little boring for her. "See I told you these talismans would work." Kate/Kat points out how silent Gina has been and has not been throwing eye daggers their way at this store.

Alexis just grinned that her mom had super powers and could defeat the wicked witch.

Rick was done signing and had avoided Gina and was outside with his girls. "It's a little late to go home and make dinner. How about eating out this time? … Pizza?" Rick offers. Getting Alexis to nod her head liking the idea.

"Sure." Kate/Kat was willing.

Pizza had turned out to be a good choice and they had managed to finish a large pizza between the three of them.

Rick pulled out his wallet to get his credit card to pay the bill and pulled out the card Johanna had given him to look at it. Since he had never looked at the first one she gave him. He was going to add it to his list of contacts on his phone while he waited for the waitress.

Rick however froze in place. **'NO! … NOT POSSIBLE! …. SERIOUSLY!?" **Like what were the odds?!

Rick was looking at the card that said **Johanna Beckett**!

"Castle?" Kate/Kat saw the look on his face and could hear the tone of his voice. Reaching across to touch him. "Castle?"

Rick looked up to look at Kate/Kat. "I don't, … I don't, … All this time." Rick slid the card across the table in front of Kate/Kat.

Kate/Kat picked it up not understanding. It read **Johanna Beckett.**

A number of events then flashed in front of Kate/Kat. She could see her dad talking to her mom, calling her Jo, short for Johanna. There were several and it had her frozen in place.

However it was causing her to start crying, staring at the card. "Mom?" Alexis tugged on her. She was scared. Her new mommy was crying and acting funny.

"**My mother."** Kate/Kat whispered out.

"She was just at the last book store while you two were in the restroom. It's the second time I've seen her. … I don't believe it." Rick could begin to believe that the woman they have been searching for was standing right in front of him. Just a few hours ago.

"You saw her? … You talked to her?" Kate/Kat was still in shock.

"Pull your hair back behind your head." Rick asks of Kate/Kat. "Really tight. … tighter." Rick looks at her.

"Why didn't I see it? You look so much like her with your hair back like she has had it both times. It was all bundled up into a tight bun on the back of her head." Rick was in an equally shocked state.

"MOM?" Alexis shakes Kate/Kat's shirt sleeve. She didn't understand.

"We found my mother pumpkin." Kate/Kat was still in shock.

Now Alexis understood. "Are we going to go see her now?" Alexis wanted to see her new mommies mom.

Rick reached across and snatched the card from Kate/Kat's hand and pulled out his cell phone.

"Castle what are you doing?" Kate/Kat asks him almost afraid of the answer.

"Calling her so we can go see her." Rick states what he thought was obvious.

"Tonight?" Kate/Kat wasn't sure she was ready.

"Well I don't know about you, but I'm not going to get any sleep tonight if we don't. And she told me she has been searching for you for the last 2 years." Rick tells her while he starts putting in the number of her cell phone listed on the card.

"She even just told me that two of her friends spotted you when we went out for Alexis's birthday." Rick suddenly put 2+2 together.

Kate/Kat's eyes bugged out. She could have found her parents a few months ago?

"Hello, Johanna. … Rick Castle. … Yes we just talked a few hours ago. Do you have some time? Myself, girlfriend and daughter would like to come for a visit. …. Yes tonight please. It's very, very important. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Is your husband also there? … Perfect, I just need a home address. I know it's asking a lot. Just think of it as the universe is talking. You just need to listen." Rick pulls out a pen he always carries and grabs a table napkin. "Yes, I got it. Give us about 45 minutes. …. Thank you Johanna, you won't regret it, I promise." Rick hangs up and looks at Kate/Kat who is still wearing a shocked look on her face.

"Let's go meet your parents!" Rick was excited and still shocked. He was about to give the woman he loved the greatest gift he could possibly think of.


	22. Chapter 22

**CH22**

Rick practically had to drag Kate/Kat to the car for the drive to her parent's house. She hadn't said a word so far during the entire trip and they only had a couple of more turns to go before reaching their destination. Or so the navigation system showed them.

Kate/Kat was sitting quietly. She was scared and excited, but mostly scared. Her memory of her parents was spotty at best. She didn't even remember her father's name. How scary was that?

The card had said Johanna, and she could hear her dad's voice calling her Jo, and that was it as far as names were concerned. What was she supposed to do? "Hi mom, I'm home."?

Except it wasn't home! The boat with Castle and Alexis was home.

Were they going to be mad she had been missing for the last almost 2 years? Take one look at her and throw her to the curb? The more Kate/Kat thought about it the less she liked this idea.

"Maybe we should call them first. See if they really want to see me." Cold feet here we are.

"Too late now." As Rick stops the car and turns it off and looks past Kate/Kat to look at the house.

It didn't look like anything special. It was a house with a driveway that had two cars sitting in it. A garage and a front door with some windows. Just like all the other houses on this street.

Kate/Kat turned to look. She didn't recognize the cars. One looked older than the other. She did however recognize the garage door. It was where her bike came from when she was little.

"Time to go say hello." Rick opened his door and got out and then worked on getting Alexis out of her car seat in back. Then with Alexis in tow, moved around to the passenger side and worked on getting a frozen in place Kate/Kat out of the car.

Finally with Kate/Kat out of the car, standing and the car door closed, Rick picked up Alexis and put her in Kate/Kat's arms. Then started guiding Kate/Kat gently towards the front door.

Rick was just about to push the doorbell button. "Castle, …. Rick?" Kate was shaking bad.

Alexis could feel Kate/Kat shaking so she wrapped her arms around her tighter and whispered into the ear. "I love you."

It got Kate/Kat to stop shaking and stood ram rod straight and turned her head to look at Alexis and smile. Then Rick pushed the button.

Turned out Johanna answered the door. "Hi." Kate/Kat tells her, since Rick had her right up front with Rick behind her. And Johanna collapses on the floor straight away.

Not exactly the greeting Rick had pictured in his mind. His imagination had pictured yelling and shouting, hugs and kisses along with some fireworks. NOT fainting dead away at first sight.

Rick stepped in and started picking Johanna up off the floor. "Jo, was that your author at the door?" Jim stepped into the living room to find Rick carrying his wife. "What, … who, …" Then he saw his daughter carrying a little girl with orange hair.

Jim recognized Castle instantly. He had seen his picture on the back of his books that Johanna had at least one of each.

Jim stopped dead in his tracks. "Katie?" It sure looked like her, even if it had been 2 years.

Rick continued over to the sofa and slowly worked at putting Johanna down. "Glass of water?" Rick asked him.

"What?" Jim responds still staring at his daughter.

"Water?" Rick tries again.

"Yeah, … sure." Jim with his eyes still on his daughter starts to walk away back towards the kitchen, which didn't work out very well since his leg hit a side table and his body slammed into the edge of the opening leading to the kitchen.

Kate/Kat sat down on the far end of the sofa with Johanna and Rick on the other end.

Jim was soon back with a glass of water and tried handing it to Rick but wasn't really looking at him or what he was doing. He only had eyes for his daughter.

Rick however took the glass from him and watched Jim move around and sit on the coffee table facing Kate/Kat.

"Katie?" Jim tries again. It had to be here, right?

"Hi." Kate/Kat whispers out.

Jim remains silent but reaches out to place a hand on her leg. Just to make sure she was real. The shock of seeing her left him wondering if he had dreamed her up yet again.

Jim blinks several times but doesn't move his hand. "And who is this?" Jim switches between looking at Kate/Kat and Alexis.

"This is Alexis, …. My daughter." Kate/Kat tells him. Since she was her daughter in her mind now. Not knowing Jim was thinking gave birth to a daughter. "Say hi pumpkin."

Alexis doesn't let go of Kate/Kat. "Hi." Alexis offers softly.

"Orange." Jim whispers out still in shock mostly. Watching Kate/Kat stroke her hair. And pumpkin? Kate loved her enough that she was using pet names for her own daughter? Get a grip Jim, of course she loves her. She gave birth to her.

It was about now that Johanna started waking up. "Here drink this." Rick keeps a hold of the glass and gets Johanna to take a sip.

Once sitting up and done with the glass, she can see Rick on his knees in front of her, her husband sitting on the coffee table, … like she has told him not to countless times, and then turns to see her daughter sitting on the far end of the sofa in front of her husband holding a child with orange hair. "Katie?" Not really sure.

"Hi." Kate/Kat responds.

Johanna suddenly jumps to the other side of the sofa to get closer, only to see Kate/Kat lean away from the sudden closeness, taking Alexis with her. Putting even more distance between Johanna and Alexis, shielding her as it were.

Johanna was all set to reach out and hug her, but retreats a little and places her hands in her own lap instead. "You don't know us, … do you." Johanna comments after seeing the look on her daughters face. Then watches her daughter shake her head. And it hurt seeing that, really hurt.

"I think you two should sit down, … this is going to take some time." Rick offers, now standing on the other side of the coffee table.

It got both Johanna and Jim to look up at him as he offered for them to sit in the two chairs on his side of the coffee table that he was standing next to.

It hurt to get further away from their daughter now that she was in the house, but it seemed like the right thing to do. They wanted to know what was going on, and if that meant backing off, so be it.

With Jim and Johanna in chairs and Rick sitting on the sofa next to Kate/Kat and Alexis. "I'm not really sure where to even start." Rick offered. "How about where I first met her and we can go from there."

Rick then started to weave his story about how he found Kate/Kat and took her to his home and took care of her, with a little help from his friend Lanie.

Johanna and Jim then started going through what they went through with the police. How they just missed her at the house she was in. How Johanna drove past the second place she had been staying for months after that.

"I didn't know." Was Kate/Kat/s only defense.

"We know that honey. …. Well at least we do now anyway." Johanna starred at the floor. They had been so close all this time. And if she had gone to the car like Rick offered the first time at the book singing. Or had stayed to see them the second instead of running off for some stupid meeting. So close.

"Alexis is yours?" Johanna asks. Rick's story had included Alexis in it. But where Alexis was and why got lost somewhere while they listened.

"Yes." Kate responds hugging Alexis who was still in her lap after all this a little tighter and then kisses the back of her head.

"Kat is my mommy." Alexis speaks up for the first time, since her name had been used.

"Kat?" Jim asks, confused. And by the look on Johanna's face, she was just as confused.

"She has had some memory loss due to her previous addiction." Rick explains.

"The police told us the guy you rode away from here with had been pumping you full of drugs. Heroin I think he called it." Johanna was still hurting from that.

Kate/Kat started nodding her head. "Injections at first, followed by cigarettes along with a white powder that went in my nose." Kate/Kat could still remember parts of it, but it was fading.

It was like a nightmare to Johanna and to Jim. "I can't believe you got yourself into that. We thought we had raised you better. Then you went on this wild binge, and then suddenly you were gone and never came back." They were both still in pain over all that.

"I'm sorry." Kate/Kat cast her head down and looked at the floor. "I don't know why I left with him in the first place. Most of that time is just a blur. Like it wasn't really me." Kate had compartmentalized that time so that it wasn't her that went through that. But there was a cost for doing that.

"And you don't remember us." Jim states. Watching his daughter shake her head.

"Just bits and pieces. They're all jumbled up. One time I'm 5 sitting in front of the TV watching Roger Ramjet, the next I'm getting an acceptance letter from Stanford. And only little pieces in-between those times." Kate answers their question. Her memory was still scrambled and she knew it. She was broken and just glad for where she was now.

"You were 4, and I never could get you to move farther away from the TV. You always were head strong and stubborn. You only did things on your terms." Johanna could only shake her head and chuckle at little over those days.

"You could have come back and told us honey. …. We wouldn't have been mad. Shocked certainly, but not mad." Johanna tells her. Pleading her case with her eyes.

"Told you what?" Kate/Kat didn't understand.

"That you were pregnant with Alexis." Johanna waves her arm at the two of them.

"OH, NO! … Alexis is my daughter with my first wife. I'm divorced, almost 2 years now." Rick corrects them. "She is still in L.A. as far as i know. I haven't seen or talked to her since that time." Hoping they understand his first wife is out of the picture.

"So you two aren't, …." Jim points between the two of them and back again. Like Johanna was probably thinking, Rick was the father and Kate gave birth to Alexis.

"Married? No, at least not yet. Together yes, just not married." Rick leans over to kiss the side of Kate/Kat's head. He cared about Kate/Kat and her parents needed to know that so they would know she was safe now.

Kate/Kat twisted her head to look at Rick with a shocked look on her face. _Married! He was thinking about marrying her!? She was all screwed up and couldn't even remember her own parents and he still wanted to marry her?!_

Kate/Kat reached and twisted Rick's head so he faced her and then pulled his head down close enough for her to kiss him. Soundly. With Alexis and her parents watching.

After breaking from the kiss. "What was that for?" Rick whispered into her lips.

Kate/Kat grinned. "Because I love you." She whispered back.

"I love you too." Rick whispers back into her lips.

Then they all watch Alexis yawn in front of all of them, not knowing to cover her mouth.

"You tired pumpkin?" Kate/Kat asks her. Getting Alexis to nod her head.

Rick looks at his watch. "It is almost your bedtime."

"We still have your old room, just as you left it. It's clean and not dusty." Johanna comments. Not wanting them to think the room was a shrine of some kind. And offering them someplace to stay. Johanna wanted them or at least Kate to stay. They had so many questions still.

"Thanks, but I think I'll go home and put her to bed." Kate/Kat tells them, not meaning to be insulting or stomping on their feet. It's just that she had a home, and this wasn't it.

"Which reminds me, could I trouble you for a piece of paper?" Rick asks pulling out his ever present pen.

"Of course." Johanna hops up and hurries into the kitchen and is soon back with something for Rick to right on.

"This is our address and my cell phone number." Rick talks while writing. "You are more than welcome to come over or call anytime. Anytime at all." Rick leaves it on the table for them.

"I don't suppose you have any ID for her around here." Rick needed some history on her to get her anywhere. Kate/Kat needed some form of ID or she would be forever trapped on the boat, and that just wasn't acceptable. Rick wanted to show her things. Help her get her life back.

"Katie had her driver's license on her when she left. …. We have her passport and a copy of her birth certificate. I'll go get them." And Johanna disappears down a hallway.

Jim fidgets wishing he knew what to say or do while they wait. It was such a shock he didn't know what to do or say.

Johanna soon returns with the paperwork and hands them to Rick who takes a quick look. "Houghton! Her middle name is Houghton." Rick looks up at Johanna in shock.

"It's in remembrance of Katherine, … HEPBURN." Johanna and Kate/Kat say at the same time.

"You remember." Johanna comments happily.

"Some things." Kate/Kat mentions.

"You preferred Kate. Only we ever called you Katie, or Katherine when we were upset with you." Johanna adds. "Which happened from time to time." Johanna smiles at them.

Then they all watch Alexis yawn again. "You three should get going and put her to bed." Jim points out and heads for the front door.

"We're both glad you're alright Katie, you had us worried sick." Jim stops them at the door.

"Thanks, … and I'm sorry." Kate/Kat is sure this was not the result of whatever she did back then she was looking for.

"We expect to see you at our place no later than noon on Christmas Eve." Rick tells them. Then leans in close to Johanna and whispers into her ear. "Or noon tomorrow even." Rick tries to look serious so that they would show up tomorrow.

It made Johanna shiver. She had her daughter back, sort of. But it was enough for now.

Johanna and Jim waved from the front door as they watched their daughter secure Alexis in the back seat and then drive off in a BMW. Just like her two friends had mentioned some time ago what they had seen.

Johanna grabbed Jim's arm. "She's back Jim, we have our daughter back. And she's involved with my favorite author." With tears running down her face. It was a miracle. A minor miracle that she was back in the first place, but involved with Richard Castle was even bigger.

"He seemed nice; maybe I don't have to shoot him after all." It was his job to scare the crap out of all the boyfriends she brought home after all.

Johanna punched him in the arm for it. "And she loves him and his little girl." Johanna had noticed how comfortable they were with each other. Watching them kiss in front of them had helped cement it.

"At least she didn't run off because she was pregnant, and it sounds like the drugs were not her idea." Jim was at least happy for that.

"I do however have a new life's mission. Make sure that jerk she rode away from here with never gets out on parole. I don't ever want him to see the light of day again." And since they were both lawyers, they had contacts.

Jim knew that tone of voice, and was glad it wasn't him she was mad at. That guy was doomed! Johanna was going to rip him a new one and he knew it.

"How is she?" Rick asks as they are headed home.

Kate/Kat twists around to look at Alexis in the back seat of the car. "She's already asleep."

"Interesting how they thought she was yours. … By birth I mean." Rick comments.

Kate/Kat had noticed but remains silent on the subject. Kate kinda wished Alexis was hers by birth, then she really would be hers.

"How do you feel?" Rick asks. After all she had just met her parents. People who she had grown up with but didn't really remember.

"Confused, … happy, … sad. They're my parents but I don't know them anymore. They're just people. People I see in my memories, but, …. And sad. I got the feeling they just wanted to hug and kiss me and make it like it was before. But it's not. And I changed all that with what I did back then. … I'm the cause of all this."

Rick reached across with his free hand. "Kate, you're not the cause. The biker guy you left with is the cause. If you knew what he was going to do would you have gone with him?" Rick already knew the answer but Kate needed to tell herself.

Kate shook her head. "Let him turn me into a drug addict and whatever else I did." What she really wished for was that she could forget it all. Still it made her sad. She had lost 2 years of her life.

"You take what you have learned from that time and make it part of you. You don't really have a choice since you lived it. Use it to your advantage from here on out. As for what you want to do, you'll think of something. You're smart after all, you went to Stanford." Rick points out. Rick knew she wasn't going to be one of those stay at home moms. Kate needed something to do. Plus he wanted her to do something, get her life back.

"I wonder what I went there for. I mean, why there?" Kate didn't have any memories of her time there.

"Your parents will likely be over soon or call tomorrow. You can ask them. They hold a lot of your history. I'm willing to bet they have lots of pictures they can show you too. …. Little Katie Beckett with pig tails and no front teeth." It earns him a punch to his arm.

Rick turns his head to look at her with "what did you do that for" kind of look.

Kate opens her mouth wide and her eyes bug out. "My mother did that all the time to my dad whenever he teased her." Kate suddenly remembered. She was turning into her mother. And somehow that felt like a good thing.

Kate turns to look at a sleeping Alexis. She really was a mother. Just without the getting pregnant first part. Or the being married part.

But both of those could be remedied. And Kate found that she liked the idea of it. All of it. She was keeping Rick and Alexis. This was her life now.

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As some of you have noticed, i answer all my reviews individually. So don't be afraid to ask questions. Occasionally i give out spoilers, so maybe you will get lucky too. You never know if you don't ask (variation on you can't win if you don't play).


	23. Chapter 23

**CH23**

Kate entered the kitchen after playing with Alexis in the far end of the living room. "Castle what are you doing?" Kate could tell he was cooking, but they still had leftovers from Thanksgiving that were going to last another couple of days still.

"Cooking lunch." Rick answers, and goes back to what he was doing.

"We don't have enough Tupperware for how much you are cooking." Kate points out.

"That shouldn't be a problem this time." Rick tells her.

"Castle!?" He was up to something, she just didn't know what.

Rick waves his hand. "Go do something, I don't want to burn it."

Kate gives him a face not trusting him an inch, but leaves and goes back into the living room to watch Alexis.

"Where are we?" Jim asks as he parks the car.

"It's the address he gave us yesterday and that looks like their car." Johanna points to the nice BMW they are parked next to. With the trash container on the other side of their car.

"Unless it's a submarine we're in the wrong place." Jim counters as he starts to get out of the car. "Maybe he bought one of those old WWII Battleships and he wants to meet us here." Jim offers instead.

Johanna glares at him and starts walking down the dock towards a lot of plants with a big boat off to one side.

"I'm telling you Jo, we're lost." Jim is convinced he should have turned left somewhere back there. However he had listened to his wife give directions.

"It's the right address, it said so on the mail box so relax." Johanna counters. However she pulls out her cell phone and scrolls for Rick's number anyway. It did seem strange, even if she did try to sound convinced.

Then they both turned and watched a car park on the other side of the BMW and watched a lovely black lady get out and walk with purpose towards them.

"Are you two lost?" Lanie stops to talk to them.

"We have an address but not sure, well he's not sure." Johanna throws her husband under the bus.

"Thanks a lot Jo." Jim is wounded.

Johanna waves him off. "We're trying to find Richard Castle." Johanna hopes she can help.

Lanie however decided to be careful. These two didn't look like crazed fans, but one had to be careful. "And you are?" Lanie offers as a key to an answer.

"I'm Johanna Beckett and this is Jim, my husband." Johanna offers.

Lanie's eyes bug out and is now very surprised. "Beckett! … As in Katherine Beckett." Lanie was ready to burst. Rick had invited her for lunch at noon today but hadn't mentioned Kat's parents were going to be here.

Wait! Kat knew who here parents were.

"Yes, Katie is our daughter." Johanna offers wondering if that would do the trick.

"You're her parents! … Her parents. You two better come with me." Lanie steps in-between them and takes an arm in each of hers and escorts them to the boat. "This is going to be sooooo good." Lanie was grinning wide.

Lanie reaches the ramp that leads to the door off of the dining room. **"CASTLE!"** Lanie yells out.

Rick's head soon pops out. "Come on up guys." And then goes back inside.

Rick pops his head into the living room. "Our guests are here for lunch. Come on pumpkin." Rick heads for the dining room.

Lanie is first and holds the door open for them. "WOW!" Johanna is first in followed by her husband.

The dining room table was set up for 6 people. Johanna was trying to take it all in. The table was huge and gorgeous. There was a baby grand piano right in front of them with seating for 4 between it and the table. There was a wall with a doorway on the far end. Just to their left was a standing coat rack with two big coats on it and a little one.

Lanie was taking her coat off and hanging it on the coat rack. Johanna and Jim decided to do the same.

"Hi guys, glad you could make it." Rick comes walking thru the opening on the far end and walks down one side to greet them.

"I see you've met Lanie already. Lanie is my best friend I have here in New York. She helped me a lot with Kate when she first got here. I owe her a lot for her help." Rick tells them.

"I'm an ME with the NYPD, 12th Precinct." Lanie explains.

"Castle what's going, … on." Kate steps thru and sees Lanie and her parents. She wasn't expecting them today but follows Alexis as she walks boldly right up to them.

"Hi." Alexis tells them.

"Well Hi to you too." Johanna smiles at her. "I still can't get over her hair color."

Rick glides his hand thru her hair. "She reminded me of a pumpkin when she was just a baby. I fell in love with her the second I saw her. She's my whole world. Her and Kate now." Rick adds as Kate steps up next to him.

"Hi Katie." It was soon awkward silent as everyone looked at each other. "We brought some pictures we thought you might like to see. Maybe it would help unlock some memories." Johanna offers up.

"Well lunch is ready, we can look at them and talk while we eat." Rick offers and let's everyone else go first.

Alexis sits at the head of the table in her booster seat, with Kate, Rick and Lanie on one side with Johanna and Jim on the other. "Let me get the food." Rick disappears and soon returns with platters and bowls. Then gets everyone something to drink.

Everyone was eating and being silent. It was more than Rick could take. "Pictures." Rick offers to break the ice.

"Oh Yeah, … pictures."Johanna picks up her purse and pulls out a pile of loose photos.

"This one is Katie when she was young at Coney Island." Handing it across to Kate. "And this one." Johanna hands across three actually.

"This one is Katie when she was 9 at Christmas." Johanna handed it across. "She had already stopped believing in Santa by then."

"We didn't have a fireplace." Kate adds. Seeing Johanna's face light up at the memory.

"It didn't stop presents from showing up from Santa however till she was a few years older." Johanna adds.

"Some assembly required my ass." Jim mumbled out, remembering Johanna had him put it all together in the middle of the night with no sleep. Johanna just glared at him.

It was a look Kate instantly recognized. "You punched dad in the arm all the time. I thought sure it was going to fall off one day." Kate points out.

"You and me both." Jim rubs his arm, listening to Rick laugh. Johanna however glares at her husband.

"I remember that look." Kate comments. Getting the other three to brighten instantly.

"Santa comes. He got me a pony last year." Alexis adds. "I'll show you." And Alexis wiggles her way out of her seat and is down on the floor and on the run before Kate can stop her.

Alexis is soon back with a fairly good sized plastic horse with a big mane and a big tail, and hands it to Johanna.

"It's gorgeous sweetie, … what's his name." Johanna hasn't been around a child Alexis's age for a while now but goes into mommy mode with ease.

"Midnight. He has a moon on his head. … see." Alexis points out.

"Yes he does. He's very handsome." Johanna points out. And places him on the table next to her plate on the table.

"Hop back up here pumpkin so you can finish lunch." Kate gets up and helps her back into her booster seat.

Johanna can feel her heart flip as she watches her daughter with Alexis and grabs Jim with one of her hands. Feeling his hand cover hers. He has seen it too.

"This one was when we went to Niagara Falls." Johanna hands it over. "We also went on a boat that got us in really close." Both Johanna and Jim watched Kate laugh since it was of Kate and Johanna standing side by side getting soaked to the bone even with rain coats on.

Johanna handed over a few more of Niagara Falls pictures.

"We had gone for a car ride tour and Jim decided our car was an off road 4-wheel drive SUV instead of just a car." Johanna hands over a picture of the mud that covered the car.

Kate was looking at it. "I ended up soaked to the bone helping him clean it." Kate comments still starring at it.

Johanna hands over a few more showing Kate soaked to the bone as Jim is spraying her instead of the car, and watch her laugh at the picture. Then hands it over to Alexis so she could laugh at Kate too.

Lunch with pictures is soon over. "I'll clean up later. Come on, I'll give you two the tour." Rick offers.

They have already seen the dining room, so the kitchen is next. "You cook in here?!" Johanna's mouth falls to the floor.

"It's deceiving. Here open it." Rick stands next to the refrigerator, and watches Johanna open it.

"It's modern." Johanna is shocked.

"Pretty cool huh. It looks like you should put blocks of ice in it to keep things cold until you open it." Rick was proud of the look, even if he didn't create it.

"I suppose this antique is the same." Johanna steps over to the range and oven.

"It's modern propane fired, even though it looks like it works burning wood in a fire box on one side." Rick is grinning wide.

As soon as they step into the living room Johanna stops dead in her tracks. It was huge!

A big flat panel TV on the wall to her left. Sofa and three chairs. Coffee table and two end tables. Stepping inside Johanna sees a fireplace under the TV. Stepping over to it, it looked funny.

Rick picked up a remote on the coffee table and turned it on for her. "It's electric." Johanna comments.

Beyond the sofa was an area filled with toys. "This is mine." Alexis tells them.

There was an entire farm set up on the floor, complete with a corral, barn, house, pond of water, windmill. "Mommie set it up for me." Alexis was proud of it. Kate even played with her on her big farm.

There was even a tractor and a hay cart.

Johanna looked at her daughter and smiled brightly. Her little girl was growing up and had her own daughter, even if it wasn't really hers. So to speak.

Next came Rick's office. "What's that?" Johanna points out the window.

"Chickens." Alexis answers proudly. "We get fresh eggs pretty much daily." Rick adds.

Next came one of the bathrooms on this level before going downstairs to see the 5 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and 2 storage closets. Plus the stairs down to the lower level. Water storage, waste water storage, oil tank for heating and propane tank for the kitchen and water heaters.

There was also a roof deck but it was cold out so they passed on seeing it till spring of next year.

"It's amazing you two. Simply AMAZING!" Johanna was impressed as was Jim.

Alexis came up to Rick and yanked on his pant leg. "Potty."

"Be right back." Rick picked up Alexis and went to the closest bathroom.

"It's amazing Katie. You've been lucky." Johanna was glad she had such a nice place to live. "Are you happy here?" It was a very important question to both her and Jim.

"I'm very happy. Alexis and Castle. I love both of them so very much." Kate tries to put the love for them in her voice.

"We still have all of your clothes, shoes, books and other things if you decide you want some of them." Johanna offers.

"Thanks, maybe one of these days." Kate was willing to look at what she left behind.

"We also still have your motorcycle." Johanna tells her.

Kate's eye's pop out and her mouth falls open. "I have a motorcycle?!" Kate didn't remember that.

"You gave both of us a heart attack when you rode it home one day. Then you went out and bought bags on the side for storage. You even bought all body leathers to wear with it. I had another heart attack when I saw you in them. I thought you had painted them on." Jim tells her.

Kate was soon grinning what Castle would do when he saw her in skin tight leathers with a motorcycle between her legs. And what it would take to get those leathers off her so they could make love. Maybe even do it on her motorcycle.

"We still have it in our garage." Jim tells her.

Did she still remember how to ride it? And where to store it here? They didn't have a garage. It would need a bike cover of some type, a good one. Maybe a hard cover one instead of a soft tarp like cover.

Johanna was smiling while Kate was lost in what she could do with a motorcycle.

They had used up the pictures Johanna and Jim had brought and had instead started talking about other things. Neither Johanna or Jim pushed about what Kate remembered during those two years.

Their daughter was back, alive and obviously healthy. Plus she had a family. Alexis may not be her's by birth but it was clear Alexis was her's none the less. Since she was sitting closest to her Kate fussed over everything Alexis did.

Cut her food into smaller pieces, encouraged her to eat more of this and less of that. Checked to make sure her cup had something in it and never ran dry. It all tugged at Johanna's heart strings. Her daughter had changed.

They were done eating and were all just sitting around the table still talking, though they needed to clean up soon and put the left overs away soon.

"We brought one more thing." Jim got up and went to his coat and came back with an envelope and handed it to Kate. "Your birthday was actually about 3 weeks ago but you weren't here to celebrate it, … so, …."

Kate took the envelope and pulled out the card.

It had a black bomb on it that was lit with an F on the bomb. "Oh F I almost forgot you were turning 20"

Inside "Hope you have a real blast, Happy Birthday!" She also found a visa credit card.

"We didn't know what you needed anymore or what you still liked. It's good anywhere VISA is accepted. It has a $1,000 in it, so you should be able to get whatever you want." Johanna tells her.

Kate started blinking back tears. She was 20! Then Kate turned to look at Alexis and handed her the VISA card to hold. Maybe 20 wasn't too young to have a 2 year old after all. Alexis just became more hers. "When?" Kate wiped away tears.

"November 17." Johanna answers her question. Blinking back her own tears. Her daughter had handed over her birthday present to Alexis and didn't even remember when her own birthday was. It was sweet and sad all at one time.

Johanna and Jim watched Rick pull out his cell phone and started typing getting Johanna to grin. No more missed birthdays.

Johanna, Jim and Lanie said their goodbyes. Rick had reminded Johanna and Jim to call or come over anytime they wished for any reason, and that they were expected over here noon on Christmas Eve and to bring an overnight bag since they would be spending the night here. He, they had the room and NO wasn't an option. Rick had made it quite clear.

Johanna and Jim had finally gotten their first hug from their daughter since she had disappeared. Thanking them for the pictures and the birthday present.

Johanna and Jim had made it to their car when Jim noticed his wife crying. "What Jo?" Jim wrapped his arms around her.

"She was a rebellious teenager one day, gone for 2 years the next. It felt like a part of me was missing with her. Now she's here, she looks healthy and she sounds happy. She has a daughter and is involved with my favorite author." Johanna states.

"I hear a 'but'." Jim points out.

"She's our Katie and yet she's not. She doesn't remember us and what she does remember is spotty at best. Where does that leave us?" Johanna had wanted her daughter back and she has, but not like she wanted her back.

"She's a grown woman now. It just didn't happen while we got to watch, and we teach her that we're her parents. Even if she doesn't remember much. Those pictures seemed to help a lot.

And we have a grandchild, sort of. Just a little sooner than we were thinking. … She's alive Jo and that in itself, with what little we know, is a minor miracle." Jim points out.

"Come on, we have some Christmas shopping to do. It's been a long time since I've shopped for a 2 year old little girl." Jim chuckles. It earned him a kiss from Johanna.


	24. Chapter 24

**CH24**

It was Christmas Eve and Kate was being lazy this morning. She had met Castle's mother last night after she flew in to celebrate the holidays. She was going to be here for 2 weeks, before she moved on to her next acting job.

Martha was not what Kate had been expecting. Martha had floated in thru the door with 2 suitcases and a carry on. Her Christmas presents had already arrived via UPS and were sitting under the tree in the living room along with the now countless others. And her parents hadn't even shown up with theirs yet.

Lanie was trying to make nice with her mother so she was spending the holiday with her family. She had promised she would be over for New Years.

Martha had shown up dressed in colors that made Kate think she should be wearing sunglasses. Her personality was just as flamboyant. "Richard!" Kissing both of his cheeks.

"Alexis my sweet, you are growing up fast." Martha had kneeled down to her level and given her a heart filled hug.

"Hi grams." Alexis hadn't seen her in months but was glad to see her. She was family.

"You must be Katherine." Martha had enveloped Kate in a motherly hug. One she hadn't had in a long time. "Richard has told me a little bit. I'm so happy my son found you. I look forward to more grandchildren soon."

"MOTHER!" Rick did not approve.

Kate's heart stopped and she stopped breathing, Martha didn't waste time. Martha had then leaned in close. "Fight for him dear, my son is worth it." Then she had waved her son's comment off with a wave of her hand.

Kate had helped Castle make up two rooms, one for Martha and one for her parents who would be showing up tomorrow.

Castle had spent the previous week putting up Christmas decorations, both inside and outside. There were Christmas lights outside all around the boat. Castle had bought a fake tree last year and had even more new ornaments to put in the tree this year. There were already hundreds of them on the tree.

No lights, just ornaments of different types and sizes.

There was garland all over, nutcrackers, fake snowflakes hanging from the ceiling. He had even placed Mistletoe all over the place and was stealing kisses from Kate and Alexis every chance he got.

Kate finally crawled out of bed and took a shower, applied some make-up and got dressed. As soon as she opened the bedroom door, the smell of food cooking hit her and took her straight to the kitchen.

"Katherine dear, here I made coffee. It was the only thing Richard would let me do. I'm lucky that I'm still in the kitchen." Martha had said the last part a little louder. However Rick just ignored her.

Kate gladly took it and took a sip and Martha watched her eyes light up. "It's a Christmas blend that I found one year. It has just a touch of nutmeg in it." Martha went back to drinking hers. While Kate sat at the bistro table with her to drink her coffee with her.

"Where's Alexis?" Kate hadn't seen her or heard her yet.

"Where else?" Martha flipped her head towards the living room. "She is busy searching for each present that has her name on it and shaking each one." Martha was grinning.

It suddenly had Kate remembering one Christmas when she was little. Maybe a little older than Alexis is now. She had gotten up early Christmas Eve and had been caught by her mother testing each and every present doing exactly what Martha had just described.

"Katherine?" Martha, then touched her arm. "Katherine?"

Kate could see a concerned look on her face. "Sorry, I just remembered me doing the very same thing when I was little. I was tempted to rip each one open right then and there. Not waiting for tonight. It was really early and I was still in my pajamas when my mother caught me." Kate confides.

"Your memory is improving Katherine. That's good!" Martha gave her arm a squeeze.

Alexis picked this moment to come charging into the kitchen and slam into Kate's legs. "Hi mom." She was all giddy with excitement. Kate was all set to ask how much sugar or coffee she had already had, but knew it was just the excitement of Christmas. Well presents to be more exact.

"Hi pumpkin. Have you figured out which ones are yours yet?" Kate leaned down to kiss the top of her head.

Watching Alexis nod her head several time enthusiastically. "I've got a lot." Watching Alexis spread her arms wide.

Kate knew she did since she had helped Castle buy them and helped him wrap them in the middle of the night. Four from her and four from Rick alone, plus what Martha had shipped in. And her parents were sure to buy her at least one themselves.

Then she turned around and ran back off into the living room. Either to drool over all her presents or to stare at the chickens. **"ALEXIS!"** Rick suddenly yelled out getting her to run back into the kitchen.

Rick hands her a bowl. "We need two eggs this time. Can you count to two?" Rick asks her.

Watching Alexis hold up her hand and force the fingers she didn't want to fold over till only two were showing. "Good girl." Rick hands over the bowl. "Remember, don't drop them." Watching Alexis walk off with a mission.

Kate was beaming. Alexis was such a happy child and she took her mission of collecting eggs seriously.

"That little girl is a wonder. You've done well with her Katherine." Martha comments.

"Oh no, it's not me. Castle taught her to get eggs. She takes getting them seriously. I had nothing to do with it." Kate had seen her do it countless times now.

Martha waved her hand. "Nonsense, she came charging in here and came straight to you and called you mom. She did not come charging in here to see Richard and call him dad. You're in charge of this house now.

She loves her father yes, but you're in charge now and that child so wants to please you and earn your affection. She loves you." Martha pointed out something Kate hadn't considered.

Alexis had soon returned walking slowly with two intact eggs. "Thank you pumpkin. I told you, you would be an expert soon." Rick takes the bowl and puts the eggs to use.

"Katherine, …. Katherine?" Martha takes her arm.

Kate shakes her head. "I'm sorry, what?"

"I lost you there for a minute. Another memory?" Martha certainly hoped so. She was learning to like this young woman that had her son and grandchild's hearts.

"Castle said "i told you". … My mother used to tell me "I told you so" when things went against me and proved that she was right." Kate confides what she had just remembered.

"I think I'm going to like your parents. They did after all bring up a smart, wise and very lovely daughter." Martha could see the beauty of her that got her sons attention. Not knowing what Kate looked like when Rick found her.

"Oh no, if I was smart and wise I wouldn't be here. I'd still be in classes at Stanford most likely. Trying to reach whatever dream I had at that time." Her hopping on the back of that bike 2 years ago got her to this point.

"Perhaps, but you knew enough not to run from my son when you had the chance. Plus you're still here instead of running off to this Stanford." Martha points out.

"I don't want to run. I love both of them too much to run away. I do however need to find something to do. I can't just sit here all day. As much as I love Alexis I need something to do." Kate moans. She was living off of Castle's money and that just didn't sit well with her.

Alexis came charging into the kitchen. "Mom can I open one of them now?" Alexis had one that was just screaming "open me" at her.

"No pumpkin, not until tonight with the rest of us." Kate shuts her down.

"P-L-E-A-S-E MOM?" Alexis moans.

"Go turn on the TV and watch the parade, Martha and I will be right in to watch it with you." Kate offers a compromise.

"With horses?" Kate had Alexis's attention now.

"I'm sure the parade will have horses, now go turn on the TV." Kate tells her and watches Alexis run back out of the kitchen to the living room.

Martha remained behind a moment to get some more coffee grinning wide as she watched Kate head for the living room to keep her promise to Alexis.

Martha stepped over to Richard and interrupted his cooking. "Katherine is a wonder son, please don't lose her." Martha patted his arm and then left with a fresh cup of coffee.

It made Rick smile for what he had planned, but he was still scared. This could turn into a disaster.

A couple of hours later Johanna and Jim made their presence known. It took Jim two trips to bring in their presents they had brought along with something to eat that Rick told them wasn't necessary along with two bottles of wine that Martha had thanked them for.

Introductions were made and Kate with Alexis in her lap, Martha and Jim were in the living room talking while watching TV. Then Johanna came in. "I've been banished from the kitchen." Johanna sat down and sulked.

Jim leaned in. "Jo is actually a very good cook, she even spent years trying to teach Katie how to cook."

"I know how to cook?" Kate suddenly spoke up a little too loud.

"I taught you every recipe I know Katie. If I have to I can teach you again." Johanna was actually looking forward to it. It might give her a chance to bond with her own daughter again.

They didn't see Rick again for another 2 hours. "It's in the oven or in the warmer or in the refrigerator."

"Can we open presents now?" Alexis asks.

"Not until after dinner pumpkin." Kate squeezes her and kisses the back of her head. Feeling Alexis deflate in her arms.

Dinner was a huge affair, Rick had outdone himself. They were going to have leftovers for days to come again.

Jim had proven he had a hollow leg yet again and took the teasing Johanna sent his way for it.

Kate was remembering bits and pieces all dinner long. The interaction between her parents felt familiar somehow, even if there wasn't one thing she could nail down as THE moment.

Martha and Johanna offered to clean up and left everyone to talk. "It must be good to have your daughter back." Martha mentioned in the kitchen while they were alone putting food away.

"It is and it isn't. I was a mess for weeks after she never came home. I gave up on some of my cases that I probably should have put the time into. Jim is the only one who kept me going.

Then to find out that the police had only just missed her after capturing that biker guy she left with. Then only to find out that I was driving right past her twice a day for months." Johanna paused as she worked to snap a piece of Tupperware closed.

"Now she's back, but she's not the Katie who left us anymore. It's two years later and she's changed. Her memory loss is part of that, but she's grown up in those two years." Johanna turns to look thru the wall that separates them.

"She's not your little girl anymore." Martha got it. Richard was her son, but not her little boy anymore.

"Don't get me wrong, I love that she has found someone to love and loves her just as much. Jim and I always thought we would have grandchildren, just not like this. And Alexis is amazing, and she is so good with her." Johanna started blinking back tears.

"But you want your daughter back. Make the last 2 years go away, but know that you can't do that." Martha comments.

"Is that so wrong of me?" Johanna asks, looking for an answer.

"And the best you can do is be her parents on the sidelines, because she's all grown up now." Martha takes her arm. "Teach her who you are, the past is over and trying to get her to remember is only going to make all of you sad. Be a parent with a grown up child and simply be there when she needs you.

Richard has had his own life's problems; all I could do was try and support him." Martha confides.

"He said he was divorced. To be honest I'm glad Katie didn't give birth to her. The thought that Katie ran away because she got pregnant was almost too much to take." Johanna was curious.

"Meredith." Martha nodded her head. "Richard asked his college sweetheart to marry him. She ran away to Europe as her answer. It broke his heart. Meredith was someone he should never have gotten involved with, but he was hurting and lonely.

She ended up pregnant and Richard married her. He always was the perfect gentleman. It's what you do right? marry the girl you got pregnant.

Except Meredith wasn't someone who should be married. She cheated on him and Richard found her doing it when he came home one day." Martha never thought she shouldn't be telling Johanna. Her daughter was involved with her son.

Johanna slapped her hand over her mouth to keep quiet. "She filed for divorce two days later and took from him all she could but wanted nothing to do with her own child."

Johanna mouth falls to the floor. "That little girl is the most precious little thing I've ever seen."

"Alexis loves your daughter with a passion. Katherine is the only mother she has ever known. She's too young to understand Katherine didn't give birth to her, but that doesn't stop her from seeing Katherine as her mother." Martha has seen it in just the short time she has been here.

"Katie does love her and is great with her. I'm still looking forward to more grandchildren however." Johanna confides.

"We probably don't have long to wait." Martha had already tried to push those two together at least once.

The dining room was all cleaned up and everyone was in the living room. "NOW?" Alexis asks sitting in Kate's lap yet again.

Kate grinned. "Yes pumpkin, now." And Alexis was down off her lap and leaped for her presents while Rick and Jim pulled out their respective cameras.

Alexis knew how to unwrap presents since her father had taught her. Wrapping paper went everywhere along with the "from who" cards. And that present lasted only as long as it took to find out what it was and how much she liked it before the next one was unwrapped.

Everyone else took their time with each one making sure they knew who it was from before carefully opening it, except for Rick. He only knew one way to unwrap presents and that was with as much fanfare of ripping the wrapping paper to pieces as he could.

Kate got ear rings from Martha, a cook book with recipes ala Johanna inside and a photo book filled with memories from Johanna and Jim. They also handed her a set of keys. "What's this?" Did they get her a car? She didn't even know how to drive.

"Those are the keys to your motorcycle that is still in our garage. The oil and battery probably need to be changed. It hasn't even been started in 2 years." Jim handed over the keys.

It still struck Kate as weird that she had a motorcycle. She wondered what it looked like.

Kate opened a long skinny box to find a beautiful diamond bracelet inside. Sucking in a breath. "It's gorgeous Castle." Kate handed it off for the others to see.

Next turned out to be an envelope inside a small box. Inside was something she didn't understand. "Castle, what's this?" Holding it up in the air.

"The city won't allow a permanent structure on the other side of the bollards where the car is parked. However I can build a more permanent structure on this side. I was thinking down by where all the plants start.

It's big enough to put your motorcycle in when you go get it. This way you'll have some place to store it so it isn't sitting outside in the weather." Rick explains.

Kate didn't even know if she still wanted the motorcycle or if she even knew how to ride it and yet he was planning ahead like she did and could.

Kate got up and moved over to kiss him deeply. God she loved him so very much.

Johanna, Jim and Martha had theirs opened and had thanked everyone. Kate hadn't known what to get her parents, so she had put together a scrap book of her recent memories and had bought a few Christmas tree decorations to commemorate this date and time.

Alexis was done and was busy playing with the ones she liked best. "We've got one more but we decided not to wrap it." Jim tells them and gets up and leaves.

A little later he is back. "PUMPKIN, I think you've got one more for you to see." Kate calls out.

Alexis didn't want to leave playing with her new toys but came running anyway. "A BIKE!" Alexis sat on it. Except her feet didn't quite reach the peddles.

Technically it was a tricycle not a bicycle, but tricycle was too hard of a word for Alexis, so it was a bike.

"We didn't see that she had one. She's still a little young for it, but by summer she might have grown into it." Jim tells them.

The 61108-9 Polaris Dragon Tricycle is the coolest little tricycle you've ever seen! Big, padded adjustable seat, 10" solid front wheel, big non-slip pedals, padded handlebar, shock absorber, safety hand grips, super strong steel construction.

Kate could see herself sitting on her bike with training wheels, not remembering if she ever had a tricycle. Kate was forced to wipe away the tears. It did not go un-noticed by Johanna.

"What do you say pumpkin?" Rick asked her.

"Thank you." Alexis hopped off and ran over to slam into Jim's legs and hug them.

"You're welcome little one." Jim lifted her up and set her on the floor. "More than welcome."

"I've got one more." Rick tells them.

Stepping over to the tree he fishes out from deep inside the branches what he is looking for. Then walks over and stops in front of Kate and gets down on one knee. "I've got one more thing for you." Rick was beyond scared now. It had taken every ounce of courage he had to get this far.

And holds out a little black box, that has Johanna, Jim and Martha sucking in their breathe so they could stop breathing.

Kate however was shaking and crying while staring at the little black box in Rick's hands.

"The correct way of doing this would be to ask your father first, but to be honest that scared the crap out of me." Rick tells Kate, since that was the only person he was looking at.

Then he cracked open the box to display the ring hidden inside. This only got Kate to shake a little harder and force her to start wiping the tears away while she starred at the ring.

"Katherine Houghton Beckett, if you would do me the honor of marrying me and be the mother of our child. …. children." It was all Rick could do to get the words out since he was scared to death of the answer.

"I don't mean tomorrow. I was thinking about this time next year to be honest. But I want you to know how much you mean to me, to us." Rick looks into her tear filled eyes.

Kate is doing all she can to wipe the tears away. She had been thinking about him asking and it scared her and made her happy all at the same time. Now here he was actually doing it.

She was broken with a messed up memory, but he had already told her he didn't care.

He had cared for her through her addiction and kept telling her she was gorgeous even when all she saw was ugly. Even last night he had stood behind her yet again in front of the full length mirror and told her she was gorgeous and did she see what he saw?

But she was still broken in her eyes. Even if she did look better and each time he had made love to her after she shook her head. In fact they made love almost nightly, or sometimes during the day as well.

And it was the best way she had to describe what Rick did to her and for her. He didn't fuck her like HE did. Rick made love to her. He made sure it was all about her and her pleasure, not HIS pleasure and then roll off of her and go to sleep.

His hands roamed everywhere and there was no piece of her skin that was left untouched. Kate had even learned that she was supposed to be wet down there and loved it when his fingers went roaming and found that one little button of a space that sent her into orbit. Kate especially liked it when his head was between her legs and she could feel his tongue explore parts of her that had her screaming. Sometimes she screamed his name and other times she just screamed.

Then there was this one time, that he hadn't repeated yet and Kate was to bashful to ask for again. Just as she was reaching her climax with his tongue hitting that magic spot, Rick had pushed a finger into her anus and she had exploded. Screaming and wiggling all over the bed from the sensation. Kate didn't really want him inside her there, he was way to big for that, but that little finger in an unexpected location had sent her into orbit.

Kate couldn't get her mouth to move or figure out a way to say anything, so she did her best to nod her head as hard as she could.

Then she watched Rick take the ring out and place it on her finger. It looked PERFECT on her finger.

Then she kissed him as hard and as passionate as she could. For the first time in her life, that she could remember, Kate finally felt pretty like Rick had kept asking her since that first day standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom.

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www dot boutique dot gassan dot com/diamond-ring-paris

Replace the word dot with a real dot and remove the extra spaces to see the ring, i hope.


	25. Chapter 25

**CH25**

Martha was still here and Johanna, Jim and this time Lanie had joined them to celebrate New Years Eve.

Johanna had shooed everyone out of the kitchen except for Kate. "Even if you don't remember how to cook think of this as your first cooking lesson." Johanna had told her. She was going to teach her all over again if she had to.

Alexis kept herself busy playing with her new toys, while everyone else sat in the living room watching her. The TV was on but the volume was turned way down. They were going to get to see fireworks on TV before midnight rolled around in New York City.

Rick however had a surprise for everyone and it was all in a big box sitting near the piano. Rick however was being tight lipped about what was in the box.

Johanna was going over her recipe with her daughter. "Has he told you what is in the box none of us can see?" Johanna was dying to know what was so important.

Kate however shook her head while helping with the recipe that she honestly didn't remember. "He threatened me with an honest to god spanking if I peeked." Kate confided.

"And you let that stop you?" The Katie she remembered wouldn't have let that stop her if she really wanted to know.

"He threatened ME if I peeked. He didn't say anything about what would happen if YOU peeked and I just happened to be standing next to you." Kate comments.

"NOW THAT is the Katie I remember." Johanna put everything down. "Let's go." And stepped out into the dining room and headed for the box.

It was taped closed. "We're going to need a knife and some tape to close it up again. You know where the tape is?" Johanna asked her. Getting Kate to nod her head.

"I'll get the knife, you go get the tape." Johanna heads back into the kitchen while Kate goes downstairs to look for the tape.

Kate returns with the tape and finds her mother standing at the box with a knife in her hand.

Johanna quickly cuts the tape so they can open the box. "Here we go." Johanna opens the box. Pulling out one of the many items she sees inside.

Crackling Cascade

9 Shots of Crackling Tails to Large Crackling Bursts

"It's fireworks! … Probably from Canada since they are illegal in New York." Johanna explains.

Johanna quickly puts it back and closes the box. "Tape it back closed just like it looked." Johanna asks of Kate.

The sound of the tape ripping clear of the roll causes them to look over their shoulder to see if they have been caught.

Johanna cuts the tape off at the exact same spot and then smoothes the tape down so that the box is sealed. "Take the tape back to where you found it and meet me in the kitchen." Johanna whispers out.

Kate is soon back in the kitchen helping Johanna cook.

"I haven't done something like that in a long time." Kate comments.

"You've done that before!? …. When?" Johanna glares at Kate.

"Ooops, I meant I've never done anything like that before." Kate corrects her statement now that she had opened her big mouth.

"That's what I thought." Johanna starts laughing getting Kate to join her.

They have been working in the kitchen for a while now. "Does your memory always return like that?" Johanna asks.

"Yeah, it drives me crazy. It's all a jumble. Sometimes I'm not much older than Alexis and the next I'm about 10 or maybe 12, then I'm about 16 or 17. It's a mess." Kate complains.

"And you don't remember how to cook or ride your motorcycle?" Johanna asks.

Kate shakes her head. "Sorry."

Johanna stops and takes a hold of her daughter. "It's alright honey. We're just glad your back. The last 2 years have been a nightmare."

"I'm sorry, I don't really know why I went anywhere with him. I don't remember that time. I only remember bits and pieces of what came after that. Honestly I'm not sure I want to remember any of it." It was the one thing about her poor memory that she was happy for.

"Don't worry about it honey. You have Rick and Alexis now. Just focus on that. Your father and I will be here if or when you need us. You have a family now, just concentrate on that.

Your father and I are happy to just sit back and spoil our grandchildren." Johanna goes back to cooking.

"It still feels like a dream really. Alexis got lost in a Macy's one day. I hadn't been here long and Castle took me out shopping for new clothes. Alexis wondered off to lay down and sleep because she was bored and tired. I wondered the whole store shouting for her. I was scared out of my mind that I had lost her.

I really was ready to take the building apart brick by brick just like Castle said." Kate confides.

Johanna just kept on listening since Katie was talking to her.

"Then she wanted to ride her tricycle out on the dock. I watched her to make sure she stayed away from the edge to keep from going over and into the water.

She decided to show me just how fast she could go and peddled as fast as she could." Kate could still see it in her mind and Johanna could see the beginnings of tears.

"She peddled herself right over the side before I could stop her. I ran and jumped over the side without even thinking. The thought that I didn't know how to swim never occurred to me. Apparently I do know how to swim though." Kate pauses to wipe away the tears, and could see Johanna nod her head knowing they had taken Katie for swimming lessons. Johanna knew she was actually a pretty good swimmer.

"Then we went to a museum and we were playing a game. This guy picked up Alexis with the intention of taking her so he could rape her. I tackled him and got Alexis away from him then hit him as hard as I could. But he soon had me down on the floor and was getting ready to beat me to a pulp when Castle showed up and started pounding on him." Kate could still see that time vivid in her mind too.

"I almost lost her 3 times now and it almost destroyed me each time. Alexis means so much to me, I can't lose her. … or Castle." Kate confides.

"And now your engaged and have a daughter. How does that make you feel?" This Katie was partly a stranger to her.

"Happy. Amazingly happy. Castle kept saying things about marriage and it scared the crap out of me and yet when he didn't ask me it made me wish he did. Now he has and it's amazing." Kate looks down at the ring on her finger.

"Why do you call him Castle and not Rick?" Johanna was curious about that.

"I do call him Rick, sometimes. Usually when we're alone and it's personal, when it's special and means something." Like when she screams out his name during an especially intense orgasm for example. Not that she was going to tell her mother that.

Her mother! "I really am sorry I don't remember you or dad very much. I wish I did." Kate suddenly tells her.

Johanna gives Kate her first motherly hug. "Don't worry about it honey. We're here now. And I think you've found yourself the perfect man and family for you. Even if it did mean 2 years of pain to get here." Johanna squeezes a little tighter before letting go.

"I'm just glad your alive, safe, healthy and happy. … Just don't ever do that again or I'll kill you." Johanna jokes.

Kate laughs with her. "I'll see what I can do."

"Have you thought about what your are going to do?" Johanna meant as a job.

Kate shook her head. "I don't even remember why I was going to Stanford. I can remember being excited about going but not why or even if I made it there at all."

"You were going to law school. You wanted to be the first female supreme court justice." Johanna tells her while still working on cooking.

"LAW SCHOOL!? .. seriously?" Kate never expected that. She wanted to be a lawyer? She didn't even remember high school.

"Sounds like that is out. … So what has your interest now?" Johanna was curious.

"Actually keeping Alexis safe and making sure other kids like her don't fall prey to sexual perverts or preventing people like me from going away with biker scum and getting hooked on drugs too. Just not sure how to accomplish that." Kate tells her, while pounding on the bread trying to get it to feel a little sticky instead of dry. They were making fresh bread.

"Sounds like FBI or police to me. …. FBI might be nice. Lots of prestige associated with it. Just they might decide to transfer you to another city and be forced to stay there for a few years. They have a behavior analysis unit, but they are based in DC, not New York." Johanna comments.

"That's out then, because I'm not moving. I'm not even married yet and uprooting Alexis so they could follow me is out. I'm not doing that to her. I love her way to much to do that to her." Kate had her now and she was keeping her, period!

Johanna was grinning. Listening to her daughter admit to how much she loved someone, especially someone else's child made her proud. Maybe her and Jim had raised her right after all. Or was this the new memoryless Katie talking? Johanna decided on the former.

"That leaves police by the sounds of it." Johanns comments, not really sure what she thought of that.

"Be a local beat cop riding around in a police cruiser?" Kate wasn't sure that was what she was after either.

"Well there are sub secs of the police force. There's vice, who work to keep kids from being prostitutes and trying to catch drug dealers since most of them are hooked on drugs." Johanna tells her.

That however got Kate to remember what she did to get money to get the drugs she needed. It caused her to stop pounding on her blob of bread.

"Katie, …. Katie!" Johanna finally had her attention. "What Katie? A memory?" Johanna guessed.

"Yeah, a bad one. … I did something bad mom. Really bad." Kate was shaking and about ready to collapse.

Johanna wrapped her arms around her and could feel her shaking and that she was the only reason Kate was still standing. **"RICK!"** …. **"RICK!"**

Rick with Jim right behind her came running in. "Take her downstairs to bed and get her to relax. If you have some alcohol around there take a little of that with you." Johanna tells him. And hands off a shaking Kate into his arms.

Rick pulled a bottle of Tequila out of a cabinet with him along with a shot glass and did as Johanna told him to do, not knowing why.

"What happened Jo." Jim asked after they were gone.

"I asked her what she wanted to do with her life? She didn't remember wanting to be a lawyer or that she ever attended Stanford and was home for the Christmas break when she disappeared.

The FBI and police got mentioned. She didn't like the idea of being a beat cop in a police cruiser. … I stupidly mentioned that there were sub secs like vice who also went after drug dealers. … I screwed up big Jim. It brought up a painful memory." Johanna collapsed into her husband's arms.

"Her time with the biker guy who had her hooked on Heroin." Jim guesses.

"Worse I think. And I made her remember." Johanna cried into his chest.

Rick has Kate down to their bed and pours a small portion into a shot glass. "Drink this Kate." And helps her drink it down. Then wraps his arms around her. "What happened?"

Kate however shakes her head. Rick would dump her if he knew what she had done.

"Kate, please. Let me help you, don't shut down on me now. You're not losing me or Alexis. I promise. We've gotten this far. You're not addicted anymore and you finally see what I saw months ago. … Please talk to me. Don't let it eat you up." Rick pleads with her.

"Promise. Really promise?" Kate couldn't lose them. It would destroy her.

"Promise. Talk to me, please." Rick really did want to help her.

Kate looks at him. Was a promise enough. Would he still dump her? But she loves him.

Kate grabbed a hold of him so he didn't run and held on tight. "I was addicted and I knew where to get more, but I needed money. I needed it Rick, really needed it."

Rick knew it was really important now. Kate only used his first name when it was important and her heart was involved. He actually loved how she called him Castle in public and reserved using his first name when her heart was involved. It helps tell him how much she loved him.

"I went down on a guy and his buddy, then I had sex with another guy and used the money to buy cigarettes. I really needed the money and the cigarettes Rick. I'm sorry, so very sorry." Kate increased her hold on him and cried into his chest.

Her heart was now in his hands. What would he do with it?

"I know." Rick tells her.

That got Kate to lift her head up suddenly and look at him. "What?"

"Well I didn't actually know, but I suspected. Lanie told me that you were heavily addicted to heroin. And by the look of your body at the time she suspected that you hadn't been out in the sun for at least a year, maybe longer.

You were likely heavily addicted during that time considering the damage it had done to your body, and your memory. Since you looked alone when I found you, there are only two ways for you to get those cigarettes you needed so badly.

Steal them or buy them. So either steal the money or earn the money. To earn the money meant sell yourself." Rick tells her.

"Kate, I didn't care then and I don't care now. Do you still want a cigarette?" Rick asks her the question he has asked her countless time.

Kate is shocked and Rick can see it in her eyes. However she shakes her head. "No, I don't even want to see one again for as long as I live." Kate didn't either. She had a new life and wanted to keep it.

"You're not mad at me or going to leave me?" Kate still had fears.

Rick looks at her like that was a stupid question. "Of course not! You would have to murder someone in cold blood before I even considered it and even then I wouldn't leave you. I'd just wait until you got out of prison or break you out and run away with you to another country."

Kate huffs out a laugh. "Really?"

"Yes, really. You're stuck with me, … us. So deal with it. I'm marrying you. GOT IT!?" Rick looked at her.

Kate was grinning. "Got it." As Kate wipes away her tears.

"So what brought on this memory? I'm assuming it was a sudden memory." Rick was curious.

Kate wiped away a few more of her tears. "Mom asked me what I wanted to do. I told her I wanted to help people like me when I got hooked on drugs. Get rid of the biker who got me hooked. Keep kids away from sexual predators, that kind of stuff. Help families before it gets that far, and if it does help them get the closure they are looking for.

Mom said it sounded like FBI or police. FBI sounded like I would need to move to another city from time to time and I wasn't doing that to Alexis so that took out the FBI. That left police and I didn't like the idea of being a beat cop running around in a police cruiser.

Mom said there were sub sections like Vice." Kate tells him.

"And that lead to drugs and prostitution and brought up a memory. In this case a bad memory." Rick got it. And watched Kate nod her head.

"The police also have robbery, anti-gangs, like your biker guy, and detectives. Like homicide. We can do some research if you are interested." Rick offers.

Kate suddenly had a surprise look on her face. "You'd let me be police. Like a homicide detective?"

"If that is what you want to do, I'll even help you study. We can go to a gun range and learn how to shoot together. Maybe a phone call to the FBI will get you into one of their training classes." Rick didn't yet know who to call, but that wasn't going to stop him.

"You'd help me." Kate was grinning again.

"I promised that I would help you if you let me. All you have to do is let me help you and I'll do all I can, always." Rick tells her.

Kate launches herself into his arms and kisses him. She was going to marry him and let him help her for as long as she lived. Maybe even throw in a child or two.


	26. Chapter 26

**CH26**

It was now 3 months later:

Rick had tried getting her to go to a hospital now that she was in such better shape, but Kate wouldn't let him. She felt fine and didn't want to be stuck in some bed in a hospital while they poked and prodded and drained her dry trying to get their samples.

Rick did however get her to let Lanie look her over completely as she could in the comfort of their bedroom. It wasn't ideal, but it was something Kate would allow. Still it meant Kate got poked and prodded and sucked partially dry giving Lanie her samples.

Rick had gotten to shoot off his fireworks none the wiser to what Johanna and Kate already knew.

Since all of them were multi-shot boxes, Rick had put three of them together and tried to get the fuse's for all three in the same area, then used a propane torch to light all 3 at the same time. Then ran for it and stood back and watched like all the others as each box shot off either 9 or 12 shots.

Rick did this 4 times until he ran out of boxes, then he handed out sparklers for everyone. He had enough for 2 per person.

Alexis had tried to stay awake for it and Rick was doing all he could to help her stay awake, but she failed. Kate had carried her downstairs and tucked her into bed, then kissed her forehead. "I love you pumpkin."

Kate could actually feel her in her heart with how much she loved her. Was joining the police such a good idea? It was a dangerous profession after all.

Right now all three of them were in a hotel room getting ready to go out in search of dinner. They were going to be here for two weeks.

Rick had used Kate's passport and birth certificate to get her a replacement driver's license along with a license to ride her motorcycle. Since Kate didn't remember how to ride it, it was shipped over and guided into the storage shed. Where it still sat.

Kate may have a driver's license but she didn't remember how to drive a car either.

Rick had gotten lucky and one of his phone calls had gotten them an invite to the FBI training range in Quantico. In addition they were both going to learn defensive driving here from the FBI too.

All it cost was Rick to sign every book everyone in the office brought him. Seems he had fans in the FBI.

Alexis was going to be dropped off with daycare, which was going to be new for her. And Rick! Something that didn't sit well with him. He had promised he would never leave her again. But he had also promised he would help Kate.

Turns out the FBI office had a built-in daycare sight, so Rick and Kate would both be in or near the same building Alexis would be in.

They were sitting and waiting after ordering. "Nervous?" Rick asked her since Kate had been rather silent lately. Only getting her to nod her head.

"About using a gun for the first time? Driving a car? Or about your job choice?" Rick was curious and was still in help mode.

"Yes." Kate answered. Getting Rick to start laughing. "Well in 2 weeks we're both going to find out if you are cut out for this line of work."

The next morning after dropping off Alexis at day care and staying for a bit and let her get used to being there, finding out what toys she liked to play with and meet some of the other children that were there, they moved on.

The first thing Rick found was 14 books for him to sign first thing. He tried to give each of them a special note after finding out the name of each books owner.

They both started with a simple gun range and learned how to shoot and do it safely. The old FBI Pistol Qualification Course required agents to fire 50 rounds, more than half of them from between 15 and 25 yards.

The new course involves 60 rounds, with 40 of those fired from between three and seven yards. It also requires agents to draw their weapons from holsters concealed by jackets or blazers to replicate the traditional clothing worn by FBI special agents.

As part of its overall improvement in handgun training, the FBI has also made a significant investment in virtual simulation. Similar to the technology used in movies such as "Lord of the Rings," the Virtual Simulator Tactical Training system or VirtSim was implemented into FBI training in February 2012.

VirtSim is a three-dimensional technical simulator using wireless and motion-capture technology to create a virtual 360-degree tactical environment. The system captures full-body motion for each of the participating students and projects corresponding aggressor and hostage actions within the virtual environment.

Both Rick and Kate were trained in the use of the following list of weapons.

MP5/10 submachine gun

M4 carbine

M1911A1 Springfield Professional Custom .45 ACP pistol

Glock pistol .40 S&W

Remington 870 12 gauge shotgun

At the end of the week they had both passed the course and they both found out that neither of them were going to win any awards for long range shooting.

Both of them were however expert marksmen for close range shooting. While Kate was more practical about her weapons of choice, Rick had fallen in love with using the MP5/10. The idea of using a submachine gun had drawn him in, even if he was more accurate with a simple hand gun.

The use of the VirtSim had shown that Rick was more easily distracted, while Kate was more focused and always had her eyes scanning the area and not moving her head, just like she was taught.

Kate had also found that she liked wearing jackets and already had two new ones in her suitcase even before starting the defensive driving course. She had even gotten some tips on how to run in heels. And now had a new pair of 4-inch heel boots that were fast becoming her favorite pair of shoes.

Rick had been signing his life away each and every day. Word had got out that he was in the building and soon his daily signing requirement had grown into the 20's each day, along with having his picture taken with a few of the FBI people. Both men and women.

Kate had been forced on numerous occasions to point out that Rick was hers and flash her 4.2 carat engagement ring. But she had also gotten a number of "You are one lucky lady." Which made her feel better.

The defensive driving course was next. Just beyond Hogan's Alley is a 1.1-mile pursuit driving/defensive driving training and skid track. It reminded Rick of a NASCAR track with a couple of S curves that could be taken thru the middle of it. Along with a large flat area that could be set up with cones for various tracks set up.

Both Rick and Kate also found out about the different functions of each vehicle in the surveillance team – command, backup, outriders, and advance. You also discovered how the FBI's _stakeout box_ operates. You learned how the _trigger_ vehicle signals the _layup_ vehicle to pick up the _follow_ when the target drives away.  
>Even more important, you learned about <em>command of the target<em>. You saw how a _cheating_ command vehicle is located in front of the target. You learned how a _commit_ vehicle is located at a _decision point_. You saw how the commit vehicle is used to cue a _layup_ vehicle to enter the situation and assume command of the target.

Also graphic examples of teamwork and tactics utilized by the surveillance team. They both learned how to handle intersection turns, U-turns, returning to a parked car, and other situations. Also discovered how the _vehicle_ surveillance team supports the activities of the _foot_ surveillance team.

_Wheel artists_ drive anything and everything, including sedans, coupes, station wagons, pickup trucks, vans, minivans, sport utility vehicles, taxis, motorcycles, commercial trucks, ambulances, 18-wheelers, and others. Both Rick and Kate got their hands on each.

It wasn't a complete course since they were only here for a week instead of the full 20-week course all FBI agents were required to take. It did however give Kate a chance to try and remember how to ride her motorcycle before Spring.

"What motorcycle do you have?" The trainer had asked her.

"94 Harley softail motorbike." Which she worked through high school to pay for.

"Interesting choice. Personally I think it suits you. It's been a blast having you two here. I trust Derek Storm will be doing things a little more authentically from now on." He can't miss a chance at ribbing Rick.

Rick just grins. "He leaned a lot the last two weeks." Rick had a new appreciation for what the FBI did.

"You two come back for a refresher anytime. Just be sure to bring your pen with you." He teases Rick.

They had Alexis in the back seat of their rental car. "You still interested in the NYPD after all that?" Rick wanted to hear her thoughts.

"If I can get into being a homicide detective so I'm not stuck in a police cruiser, then yes, I'm still interested. … I really want to stop what happened to me Rick. And get that jerk who got his hands on Alexis.

Have you noticed that we are being followed?" Kate suddenly asks him.

"I have. Spotted two of the cars 3 blocks ago. One is 3 cars behind us and I'm betting the other is on a side street even with us. I haven't as yet spotted the one in front of us. Provided that they sent more than two." Rick tells her.

"What do you suggest?" Kate asks him. And finds Rick suddenly slam on the brakes and sit there and wait. Then suddenly almost runs a red light leaving their tail behind the red light and trapped behind 2 cars.

"Right or left?" Rick asks her.

"Right." Kate chooses.

They both wave at the FBI car that was running even with them as they traveled thru the intersection seeing it stopped at its red light. Grinning wide at them knowing they had won this little game.

Rick turned left at the next intersection and then left again to get back on the road that leads to their hotel. They flew out in the morning.

"How was daycare pumpkin?" Rick asked her on the airplane. He was worried about leaving her. After that one day with Meredith he had never left her again and he felt bad about that.

"Cool daddy. They had lots of toys. The lady was nice. ..." And Alexis proceeded to tell both of them what she had done at daycare and the kids she had met. Most of them were older than her. And what she ate for lunch.

And could she get skates when she got bigger like the other kids?

It made Rick and Kate feel better about leaving her at daycare. Now how would she take Kate being gone all day when she went to the NYPD academy for 6 months? She was so used to having both of them around 24 hours a day.

Kate applied to the academy the day after they got back home. Gramercy Park, New York.

Recruit Training

Physical Training and Tactics Training

Driver Education Training

Firearms and Tactics Training

Chemical Ordinance, Biological and Radiological Awareness Training

Tactical Training

In-Tac Training

Computer Training

Civilian Training

School Safety Training

Citizens Police Academy

Instructor Development

Criminal Investigation Course

Leadership Training

Human Resources

Kate came home each day and explained to Rick and Alexis what she had done each day.

It had taken a few days for Alexis to get used to the fact that mommy left home during the day in a grey uniform and came home tired, but not too tired to play with her or spend time with her.

Rick found that he liked taking off Kate's uniform each night when she got home. It usually resulted in him making love to her then helping her change into something more comfortable. Then cook dinner for all of them.

When firearms training came around they were momentarily impressed that she had FBI training but quickly didn't care since they had their own method. However Kate breezed thru it and was at the top of her class.

The same happened at driver education training. Finding out she had been trained by FBI in defensive driving training and soon found that it showed compared to all the other cadets. They soon had her helping them train the others.

Rick helped her as much as he could in computer training and they both got Alexis to help her train in school safety training.

Rick had listened and did everything he could to help her thru all of it. Especially on the days when she came home in tears, convinced she was never going to make it thru it all.

It really hurt Rick to listen to her tell private things while holding her close in bed trying to help her calm down so she could sleep.

Kate found out what it was like to be a woman in the police academy. Nothing she did was good enough, especially to the other cadets. It was a man's job and women shouldn't be here.

However Rick and Alexis weren't the only support she had. Johanna, Jim and especially Lanie. Lanie came over almost daily before her late night shift at the 12th to help Kate through all of it. Including the jerks that told her to go home and stay there.

Johanna and Jim are both lawyers and the Academy soon had letters representing their daughter to put an end to it. One of the local TV stations got wind of a problem at the Academy and soon all of them had journalists at the Academy asking questions.

It was like the rape allegations at the Air Force Academy. They didn't listen until it made it to the press. It was after this that 3 cadets were discharged and 8 more had disciplinary actions taken and added to their permanent record.

It helped some, but most of it now happened more silently, underground so to speak. Still Kate got thru all of it and had actually complained when she found out her parents were sending in letters fighting for her. She wanted to graduate on her own terms.

It slowed down Johanna and Jim's complaints to the Academy, but it didn't stop them. She was their daughter! She was strong willed and stubborn but they had grown up with her knowing all that already.

It took Kate six long months of happiness and hell to get to this date but here she was with her family and friends out in the audience cheering her own as she walked across to collect her graduation certificate.

She could now change from cadet gray to police blue as a rookie. It wasn't until a week later that she found out what precinct she was being sent to.

"I'm going to the 12th!" Kate screamed out opening her letter with everyone including Lanie in attendance at her home.

"I bugged Captain Montgomery weekly for him to select you." Lanie confided.

Kate launched herself at Lanie and hugged her. "Thank you. Does this mean I get to see you a lot while at work?"

"You make it to homicide detective and you'll be seeing me a lot. Until that day comes, yes. Provided our hours coincide. … You'll like Montgomery. He's not a hard case by the book kind of guy. He lives in the real world and runs his precinct the same way. Not that he won't jump down your throat if he thinks he has to, because he will." Lanie informs and warns her.

"I look forward to it." Kate hugged Lanie again.

"When do you start?" Rick asked.

Kate looked at her letter. "Monday." Today was Tuesday.

"We have four days to celebrate. Time to paint the town!" Rick declares.

What Kate didn't hear that night:

Beginning another level 3 diagnostic of all systems.

Diagnostic complete, no errors or damage found.

Beginning analysis of repairs of host body.

Building of nanites for immediate and future use continues.

Analysis complete.

Hosts body blood system is now clear of any unwanted chemicals. Continued flushing using normal body blood discharge no longer required.

Repairs of liver is now at 90% completion. Continuing repairs.

Repairs of both kidneys is now at 90% completion. Continuing repairs.

Analysis of hosts lungs still shows moderate to heavy contaminates remain. Continuing repairs.

Hosts body has recently undergone increased physical training. Training is insufficient. Host will need to be encouraged to increase physical training. Hand to hand fighting skills are likely insufficient to counter target of mission.

Motor skills suggests host has had training using weapons. Analysis of how much training and capability of weapons will need to be obtained. Additional training may be required.

Repairs of hosts neuron connections is at 90% for all old memories. Estimate 9% are permanently damaged and unable to be restored. 90% of elimination of unwanted neuron connections have been completed. Estimate 8% will be unable to be removed.

No perceivable result of this will result in permanent damage to host. Psychological damage was anticipated. Host will learn in time to live with final connections.

Analysis of how to communicate with host will now begin. This planets technology appears to be limited. No encrypted subspace communications detected. A new method will need to be obtained.

Analysis indicates that host is sexually active. Memory analysis indicated that there are 2 primary people that are of primary importance to the host. There is a 98% likely hood that the host would sacrifice it's life to save either of them.

Analysis of birth control presently used is not 100% effective, however no action required at this time. Communication with host is required before interfering with host's reproduction capability will be taken.

Analysis indicates that target is equally out of communication with anyone off planet.

Analysis suggests that hosts brain capacity has increased 39% of 1% with 5% as being projected total.

Time estimate of .33 of system standard solar is required until repairs of host body is at 100%.

Main mission will commence when host is at 100% and encrypted and secured communication between us has been established.

End journal entry.


	27. Chapter 27

**CH27**

There has been a question about Kate's ability to get this job or FBI. Keep in mind, Kate was only a missing persons report. The captain of that precinct Jim and Johanna delt with are only speculating on her drug addiction given the information Winger supplied in an attempt at getting a plea deal.

Kate has never actually been arrested for anything, including prostitution.

Winger said she was in a house pumped full of drugs, except they didn't find her there or any indication she had been there. That piece of jewelry that the bike gang stole was their only evidence that placed her at the apt. that blew up. Not Kate herself. Not exactly damming.

And there is a sighting of a perfectly healthy Kate on Staten Island carrying a little girl. Which conflicts with earlier supposition about her status and locations.

Note Jim and Johanna did not go back to that captain after Kate came home.

Go to school and do what? She doesn't remember ever actually being there.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Rick, Kate and Alexis were getting ready for her first day as a rookie at the 12th Precinct. After making love to Kate in the morning before the alarm even went off, Rick was up in the kitchen making breakfast for them.

Kate was down in the bedroom still after having finished getting dressed. She was standing in front of the full length mirror yet again and in her mind she could see Rick standing right behind her, asking her if she finally saw what he sees.

This was one time she finally did as her smile grew wider. She was in her blues, clean and all neatly ironed. Rick had done the ironing for her the night before.

Kate had pulled her now long hair tightly behind her into a long pony tail and she could see the grin on her face. In fact she was glowing and she knew it. Rick had given her 3 orgasms this morning when they made love to each other.

She loved him, all of him. Kate had been worried about wearing and possibly losing her engagement ring so she had asked him if she could wear it on a necklace around her neck while at work.

"I don't care if you wear it on one of your toes hidden away by those high heel power boots of yours. You just remember that you're mine and come home to me, … us each day." Rick had been grinning and Kate had kissed him for it. She loved him so much. She literally wouldn't be here without him and his love. Well his and Alexis's love.

She just hoped Alexis took this well.

Kate went upstairs to the kitchen. **"WOW!** … Look at you." Rick moved in close and placed his arms around her. "Have I ever told you what seeing a woman in uniform does to me?" Rick smiled into her lips.

"I believe you did only just this morning." Kate smiles back into his. "You just wait until you see me in skin tight leathers with a Harley between my legs." Kate teases him.

"You are an evil woman officer Beckett." Rick tells her.

"Rick, … you're not mad that I'm going to have the name Beckett at work?" Kate had talked to Rick about this, but wanted to be sure.

"Castle, Beckett." Rick shrugged his shoulders. "You just remember who you're marrying and you can change your name to Jane Doe for all I care." Rick had already told her this, but if she needed to hear it again, ….

"I don't know what I did to deserve you. …. I love you. You know that, right?" Kate searched his eyes.

"You just work on those vows of yours, you're going to need them in a few months. Mrs. Castle." Rick reminds her of that too.

Kate smiled into his lips that were still just a fraction away from hers. Mrs. Castle. She liked the sound of it. She was marrying him, period!

"Breakfast?" Rick asks her.

"Starving." Kate moves over to the bistro table where Alexis was sitting. "Hi pumpkin. Like it?" Kate twists so she could get a good view of her uniform.

"Mommy working." Rick and Kate had talked endlessly to her about Kate going in to work during the day.

"Yes I start work today. But I'll always come home to you and Rick. Always. I love you and that's never going to change." Kate still had fears that this was going to be hard on her.

Alexis however was silent all through breakfast. "I need to get going. I want to get there early so I can report in. Likely sign a bunch of papers." Kate tells them and gets up.

"Keys?" Rick asks and Kate holds them up. "Phone?" Rick asks her and Kate holds up her cell phone.

"Text me a couple of times each day. That's all I ask. … Well that and stay safe and remember that we love you." Rick adds.

Kate gives Rick a quick kiss. "You be a good girl pumpkin, I'll be home tonight." Kate kisses the top of her head.

"Luv you mommy." Alexis had tears already.

"I love you too pumpkin." Maybe it wasn't Alexis that was going to miss her. Kate was already missing her and she hadn't even left yet.

Rick and Alexis could next hear the sound of a Harley rumble to life. Lanie had told her there was a place in the underground parking garage that she could park her bike at if she decided to ride it in. Otherwise she was going to have to find some other way into the precinct.

Kate didn't have any trouble finding the place, Rick had driven the route with her twice already.

Kate locked up her bike and entered the elevator and punched for the 4th floor.

It wasn't quite what she was expecting. The desks look old, as did the computers on them. Even the building looked old, however it was clean.

Captain Montgomery's office turned out to be deeper into the floor than she had expected. Knocking after finding a black male sitting at a desk immersed in paperwork. "Officer Beckett reporting, … sir." Kate sticks out her paperwork.

Roy looks up. He had looked up her file when he had selected her. She was prettier in person that her photo did justice. He had also read what her parents had done. Their letters to the Academy had started a firestorm.

It was one of the reasons he had selected her. Not that he was going to tell her that. "At ease Beckett." And takes her paperwork.

"You know why you're here Beckett?" First test.

"I passed the Academy sir, near the top of my class?" Kate offered. She wasn't the best in her class, but she was easily in the top ten.

"You're here because Lanie has been hounding me for days to get me to select you out of this year's graduating class. I did it just to shut her up." Roy is teasing, but she doesn't need to know that.

"Yes sir, sorry sir." Kate was kinda hoping it was for another reason.

"She tells me you're dying to be a homicide detective." Roy had gotten it from her and from Kate's file.

"Yes sir." Kate stayed with nice short answers. If he wanted to know more he could ask.

"Admiral. You pull that off and you'll be the youngest to accomplish that in NYPD history." Roy tells her.

"I'll make it sir." Kate was committed to succeeding.

"You have to put in your time first officer. When I think you're ready I'll recommend you take the test." Roy explains.

"Yes sir." So this is who she has to prove herself to. She can do that.

"Report to Royce, he will be your training officer. He's a little old school but he doesn't hate women being in the uniform. He'll give you your assignments. Dismissed officer." Roy gets back to his paperwork.

"Yes sir." And Kate goes looking for this Royce person.

Royce turned out to not be that hard to find and he immediately put her to work doing paperwork.

Kate went downstairs when lunch came around. "Girlfriend!" Lanie had spotted her the second she entered. "How is your first day?" Lanie was interested who she is teamed with too.

"Captain Montgomery seems nice enough." Kate tells her.

"He'll wear on you. He's a nice guy. He hasn't been captain here long so he is still learning everyone too. Who did he assign you to?" Lanie knew all of them.

"He sent me to Royce who immediately put to work doing paperwork. My hand is already willing to fall off." Kate squeezed her wrist since that was the part that hurt most.

"You'll get used to it, not like you have a choice. They love paperwork around here. And Royce is a nice enough guy. He has his reasons if he gets tough with you. He might even someday explain why if you ask him. At least he doesn't hate women in uniform." Lanie explains.

"I came to see if you are free for lunch. I'll even buy. … with Castle's money." Kate grins.

"Well since you're buying how can I refuse?" Lanie takes her to a place close so Kate doesn't return late.

Kate took a break and pulled out her phone and texted Castle. _Nothing but endless paperwork. My hand is killing me, luv u X_

Kate's phone vibrated only a moment later. _I know just the cure for that, I'm a writer. Luv u 2 X_

Kate chuckled. Castle was a writer, of course he would know about writing with his hand. Probably wrote his first book that way. Kate rubbed her wrist and got back to work. She only left when Royce told her to go home.

Firing up her Harley Kate headed home. Alexis was out at the ramp while Kate put her bike away. The noise had alerted her that Kate was home.

Kate was climbing up. "Hi pumpkin." Kate scooped her up and held her close.

"Miss you mommy." Alexis was crying.

"I missed you too pumpkin, so very much." Kate kissed the side of her head and carried her inside in search of Castle.

Kate found Castle in the kitchen and with Alexis still in her arms. "Hi Castle." Ending up in Rick's arms and having him kiss her with Alexis's head just a fraction away, watching and smiling still with tears.

"You go change and play with your daughter. Then we can eat and I'll look at your hand after that." Rick tells her and gives her another quick kiss.

Kate put Alexis down when she reached the stairs. "You go play pumpkin and I'll be right there."

"Promise." Alexis had her and didn't want to give her up.

"Yes, I promise. Now go on, I'll be right there." Kate shoos her into the living room and goes downstairs to change into a big baggy t-shirt and yoga pants and then went back upstairs to play with Alexis.

Half an hour later. "Dinner Ladies." Rick calls from the doorway.

Part way through eating. "OWE!" And Kate drops her fork.

"Mommy?" Alexis looks at her concerned.

"My hand hurts from too much writing pumpkin, it's nothing to worry about." Kate however goes to eating with her left hand.

"We'll work on the hand after dinner." Rick tells her.

After cleaning up Rick, Alexis and Kate are all downstairs in the master bedroom while Rick works on her hand. Rick is using a rub on her wrist and massaging her wrist at the same time. Then wraps it in ice. "Give it an hour and don't use it tonight and It'll be better by morning." Rick tells her.

Kate gives him a kiss for his hard work.

Back upstairs Kate is cuddled in close to Rick while Alexis is cuddled in close to Kate while they watch a movie.

"She's asleep." Kate tells Castle. Then goes downstairs with him to tuck Alexis into bed. "How was she?" Kate knew she missed her since she met her at the ramp.

"She was fine at first. As the day wore on she started to ask, "When is mommy coming home?"" Rick is forced to tell her.

"Oh my poor sweetie." Kate had been afraid of that, and kissed her head.

"She'll adapt Kate, we both will. It'll just make the time you are home all the more important and memorable. Don't let it bother you too much." Rick takes her back upstairs.

Not really interested in the movie anymore. "Did you get to meet anyone?"

"I met Captain Montgomery, he seems nice. He even teased me that he selected me only because Lanie harassed him to. That he did it just to shut her up." Kate chuckled.

"Hooray for Lanie. Was she there?" Rick was hoping she had at least someone to talk to.

"We went to lunch together. Probably will tomorrow too if I can. I used your money to buy lunch for us." Kate teased.

"That's what it is for, put it to good use. After you get your first paycheck, we can talk about what you want to do with it." Rick tells her.

"I want to help Rick." Kate didn't want him buying everything. She was earning money now.

"We'll figure it out. For one you have a motorcycle insurance payment." Rick points out.

Kate stiffened. "Motorcycle insurance."

"You don't have insurance?" Rick looked at her shocked.

Kate shook her head. "I probably did at one time, but it's been 2 years." Kate confesses.

"I'll get the laptop." Rick gets up and goes to his office to retrieve his laptop and come back to the sofa and sit with Kate.

"Motorcycle insurance." Rick started looking.

"Make, year, model, amount paid at purchase, coverages, name, address, age, ssn. Jeez, it's just insurance. We're not trying to buy it again. Probably want you mother's maiden name too." Rick comments a little pissed at all the sections that need to be filled in.

"I don't know my mother's maiden name." Kate was forced to admit.

Rick pulled out his cell phone and handed it to her while he continued to type.

"Hi mom, I need your maiden name." Kate asks her.

"Thanks mom. … Work was fine. It was all paperwork and my hand hurts, but Castle is taking care of that. …. No I don't think Alexis took me being gone very well. … I hope so mom, I hope so. … That would be nice, I'll ask Castle. Thanks mom. Bye. … Oh say hi to dad for me. By mom." Kate hangs up.

"Ask me what?" Rick asks while sending it to his printer.

"Mom wants to know if we can come over for dinner this weekend on Sunday. She wants to cook this time." Kate tells him.

"I'm hurt, she doesn't like my cooking? … Oh the pain. Somebody take the knife out of my back, it hurts." Kate punches him in his arm.

"Castle!" She knew he was teasing but thought he deserved it anyway.

Rick gets up to go get his print out. "You're turning into your mother, you know that right." Rick calls over his shoulder.

Kate twisted her head to watch him walk away. Her mother punches her father in the arm when he teases her and now she was doing it to Rick. She was turning into her mother.

Kate was still smiling when Rick came back with his print out. "Here is your temporary insurance card. You can pay me back when you get paid." Rick offers.

"Thanks Castle." Kate takes it from him and goes back to snuggling up close to him.

"Rick?" Kate had a question, well several actually.

"Hhmmm?" Rick answers back.

"Where are we going to get married?" They had to plan this, didn't they?

"That depends on exactly when." Rick answers back.

"You said around Christmas." Meaning in about 6 months.

"December 31st then? Or do you not want to share your anniversary with Christmas? We could watch the ball drop in Times Square during the reception after the wedding" Rick needed to know a date before he started looking for a venu.

"Just before New Year's sounds great. It'll make it even more special of a day." Kate liked the idea. Christmas had been fun however, but did she want to share it with her wedding day?

"December 31st it is then. Now we need how big it is. How many people did you want to invite?" Rick asked her.

"I don't know that many people." It was a result of her memory loss.

"Then we'll keep it small then. Maybe just family members." Rick offered.

"I'm sorry." Kate knew it was her fault they didn't have anyone to ask.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm not marrying the people we invite. I'm marrying you, not them. You're the only one who really needs to be there." Rick turns to look at Kate.

Kate grins. "I love you."

It earns her a kiss. "I love you too."


	28. Chapter 28

**CH28**

Rick spent the next morning after Kate had gone into work to start looking up venu's on his computer. He had narrowed it down to a few and a few phone calls later found out just how popular some of these places were.

The final one he selected that had the space available was on his list, but it was also the last one on his list. Still he booked it and gave them a deposit and set up a time to come in and go over color scheme, wedding invitations, flowers and the food listing.

It may not be a big wedding, but it was going to be fancy. Now he just had to convince Kate to go shopping for a dress, and he knew just who to call.

Renaissance New York Times Square Hotel Two Times Square, 714 Seventh Avenue at W. 48th Street New York New York 10036 USA

Our unique Times Square party venue features panormamic views and unparalleled service.

Party inside the R Lounge where floor-to-ceiling windows provide sweeping NYC views.

Our chic party space sets the stage for vibrant wedding events in the heart of Times Square.

Choose from a long list of exceptional event menus or customize our services to meet your needs.

Certified wedding planners and catering professionals ensure flawless events.

Rick worked with the hotel for flowers, catering needs, invitations and a color scheme. He didn't really think a band was required given the small size. Recorded music would be fine. They did however need a photographer who also had a video system to record it as a movie. A really small package of pictures wasn't what he wanted.

While the guest list would be small he wanted lots of pictures to choose from.

Martha and her most recent husband, Jim and Johanna, Lanie, two of the FBI trainers they had met and their families, and eventually Kate invited Roy Montgomery and his family.

"Hi Lanie, are you busy?" Rick had a favor to ask.

"You have good timing, I just finished one body and I'm going to start the next one right after lunch that Kate and your money are going to buy." Lanie couldn't resist.

"Good, Kate could still use a few pounds. I'm just glad she looks so much better now. … I need a favor. I got Kate to pick a date for the wedding and I need you to take her dress shopping.

I don't care what it costs, just find her the right one." Rick already knew Lanie loved to shop. So this should be right up her alley.

"How long do we have writer-boy?" Lanie teases him.

Rick overlooked the use of the "boy" part. Only Kate needed to know it was writer-MAN, should she ever use that term in the future. "December 31st."

"Cutting it close are we." Lanie found the date interesting.

"We're all going to watch the ball drop in Times Square out the windows of the reception." Rick explains.

"Oooo, you two have good taste. I'll find out what her schedule is and drag her out to as many stores as it takes. Are you going to watch the Princess or do we take her with us?" Lanie was dying to take Alexis with them, just wasn't going to ask.

"I'll leave that to Kate and your powers of persuasion." Rick was already guessing the answer.

Lanie was off the phone. "Oooo a day of shopping for wedding dresses with the munchkin. This should be fun."

Lanie went upstairs with her results of the latest body and went to find out Kate's schedule so she could plan ahead. However she had to ask Montgomery since Kate and Royce were out. Then her phone rang.

Royce was showing Kate where everything was. Archives, how you had to sign just to get in, Robbery, Gangs, Morgue, front desk in case she ever had visitors they would have to come here first. Then his cell phone rang.

"Let's go kid we got a body." Royce took her down to the parking garage and had her get in the passenger seat. "Looks like someone got themselves a new bike. Don't remember that being down here before."

Kate looked and worked out he was looking at her Harley. "That's mine. I bought it with my own money working the summers through high school." Or so her parents told her anyway.

"I didn't know you could get a license to ride one of those in high school." Royce comments. Kate however remained silent.

While she liked the bike and the idea of how hard she had worked to pay for it, it also reminded her of her wild phase as a teenager. It had been that phase that had gotten her into 2 years of hell.

Two years that Rick and Alexis were helping to erase. It got her to blink back tears about how much those two had done for her and how much she loved them, and not just for what they had both done.

Royce however remained just as silent. Her not answering his question told him a lot.

Royce lead Kate straight to the body that was floating in a large fountain and from the look of it, it had been there for a while. It was discolored and puffy.

"Lanie." Royce walked right up to both of them while Lanie was in the fountain wearing really tall rubber boots.

Kate however came up and backed away but kept the contents of her stomach. "Breath through your mouth Kate, it helps." Lanie tells her. Getting Kate to nod her head and step closer.

"Single GSW right to the chest. Considering the condition of the body and the blood in the water it looks like he was killed here. I'm placing the time of death between midnight and 3 am.

Decomposition has set in so it's going to be hard to get finger prints off of him. I'll know more once I get him on the table." Lanie tells all of them.

"Ok kid, into the pool. See if our killer was so kind as to leave the murder weapon behind for us." Royce tells Kate.

Kate looks at Royce and then at the fountain. Her poor boots and pants, and steps in and starts searching using her boots to try and find it.

"Use your hands kid, otherwise you'll never feel the difference." Royce yells at her and goes over to talk to one of the detectives.

Kate makes a face of disgust and is about to reach a hand down and start looking when Lanie hands her a pair of purple gloves. The look on Lanie's face was one of sympathy.

Kate puts on the gloves and reaches down into the fountain. Kate already knew from the temperature of her feet even in boots that the water was cold, now it was really cold.

Kate had found countless coins, that she left, a few cola and beer cans, that she threw out, but so far no gun or other weapon.

Kate was still searching but was fast losing feeling in her hands when she found a knife and pulled it out and set it on the side, then went back to looking.

Then the fountain came on and started shooting water everywhere. Kate was soaked to the bone in no time, still she kept looking.

Then she kicked something and reached for it and pulled out a nine millimeter gun. Holding it with just two frozen fingers she slogged her way back out of the fountain and just as she reaches the edge, the fountain shuts back down again.

Kate cursed internally but picked up her knife and took the gun and it over to Royce. "Nice work kid." Royce had her bag both of them. "Now wait for me at the car."

Kate hadn't gotten very far when the detective asked Royce why he had her do that?

"Because we both know you're too big of a wimp to have done it. And that kid may have just found not one but two murder weapons. Already having done half your job at half the pay." Royce told him.

It had Kate grinning, but she was also shaking since she was freezing!

Royce drove them back to the precinct in silence, though he was listening to Kate's teeth chattering while soaking the passenger seat. "You got dry clothes to change into?" Royce asks once they are parked in the garage.

Kate shook her head no. "Go home then kid, you're done for the day.

And bring an extra set of clothes with you from now on." Royce adds as he watches her walk to her Harley trying to fish her keys out of her wet pockets.

The ride home had her even more frozen thanks to the wind.

Kate found Alexis at the top of the ramp to the boat. Alexis had heard her bike. "Hi mom!" All excited that Kate was home really early. "MOM?" Alexis tentatively touched her still wet clothes.

"Hi Pu-pu pumpkin." Kate mumbles out through her chattering teeth.

They both make it into the dining room **"DAD!"** Alexis yells out.

Rick makes his entrance having come from his little office area where he was working on his next Derek Storm book. "Kate your home early." Rick heads right for her ready to give her a hug and a kiss. "And your wet, …. And freezing. Come on downstairs with you."

Rick escorts her to the bathroom. "Strip off those wet clothes while I start the shower."

Rick guided her into the shower and picked up her wet things. The wet bra and panties went into the hamper while the uniform went into the washer. Then he grabbed a sweatshirt, sports bra, panties and yoga pants and left them in the bathroom along with two big towels. Then went up to the kitchen to warm up some chicken soup.

"Is mom ok?" Alexis couldn't remember ever seeing her like that except when she went over the side and into the water when her mom saved her.

"She's just wet and cold pumpkin. When she's all warmed up again she can tell us what happened." Rick knew Kate was at the low end of the totem pole, but this looked like a bit much.

Kate's teeth were no longer chattering and she could actually feel her finger tips when she finally stepped out of the shower. Then she found two big towels waiting for her along with warm clothes.

Grinning wide and loving Castle a little more she dried off and got dressed.

Upstairs she found a bowl of warm soup waiting for her and kissed Castle for all of it.

Kate went thru her trials at the fountain and its activation, then getting sent home.

"Well at least he isn't a complete jerk." Rick commented.

"I have to learn Castle, I'm a rookie. I'm going to get all the sh ..." Kate stops herself since Alexis is sitting there with them. "Crappy jobs."

"Ok mommy?" Alexis needed to hear it.

"I'm fine now pumpkin. I just need some cuddling to help warm me up." Kate tells her. Getting Alexis to smile.

"I think we can fix that." Rick adds.

Kate soon had Alexis in her lap sitting on the sofa leaning into Castle while they watch a movie.

The movie was almost over. "She's asleep." Kate tells him.

"She adores you, you know." Rick states what he thinks is obvious.

"I love her too. It makes me feel better having her in my arms. Keep her safe.

Rick?"

"Hhmmm?"

"Rick, I'm not trying to replace you. You know that." Alexis came to her now, not her dad. She was in her arms now, not his.

Rick shakes his head. "Where is this coming from?"

"She calls for mom now, she's in my arms, but she's your daughter. You're the one that raised her. You've been there since she was a baby. Doing it all alone." Kate points out.

Rick leans in to kiss her. "Families have moms and dads. … when you were little and you scuffed your knee, who did you call for to make it better? Your mother or your dad?

When you packed to go away to Stanford, who helped you pack? Your mother or your dad?

When you brought home a boyfriend, who went ballistic first? Your mother or your dad?

Until now I've been both mother and dad for Alexis. When she got sick, I was there not her mother. The first time she fell down the stairs here she cried out for me, because that's all who was here.

Your here now, so she calls out for mommy because she can. I get to be the dad who teaches her how to ride her bike, teach her how to handle her money, beat the crap out of any boy who looks her way." Rick pauses to let it sink and starts counting.

3, ..2, … 1

"Really Rick?" Kate took exception to the beat the boy to crap.

"Spoken like her true mother. The woman who is holding her to comfort her and yourself. The mother who she runs to meet the second she hears your bike when you get home. The mother who tucks her into bed at night. The mother she is trying to work up the courage to ask if you will take her for a ride.

I'm the dad who looks under her bed to check for monsters. Something moms don't do, do they?" Rick tells her.

Kate smiles and leans over to kiss him deeply. "And that's why I love you and want to marry you." Kate gives him a quick kiss again.

"She wants a ride on my bike?" Kate looks at him surprised. Kate had finally caught up to that part.

"You're her mother who comes home on a bike. She loves you so now she wants to be just like you. Bike and all. Maybe she'll like it and maybe she'll hate it, but I know she's not going to stop until she gets a chance at it.

She can be determined when she wants to be.

The first time I asked her to collect eggs for breakfast, she dropped one getting it out of the cage. She ran for the kitchen and lost still another. ..." Kate interrupts him.

"Now she takes her time and focuses on every action it takes to get those eggs to the kitchen." Kate has watched her do it several times.

"So what now?" Rick asks her.

"I start searching for a helmet that will fit a 2 year old and stick her on the seat right in front of me where I can keep tabs on her." Kate comments still surprised.

"Just make sure you know the difference between her screaming because she's having a blast or screaming because she's scared." Rick advises.

"Or scared silent." Kate adds.

"Oh I'm betting if she's anything like her mother, meaning you by the way, she'll be screaming all right." Rick knew his daughter.

Kate did her best to kiss the top of Alexis's head without waking her. And Kate knew she was going to make love to Rick tonight. This time it was going to be all him. She was going to show him just how much she loved him.

Rick couldn't let Alexis sleep for much longer or she wouldn't sleep tonight. "You need to wake her up soon and have her get washed while I fix dinner. Otherwise she won't sleep tonight."

"I need to get my bags out and pack a spare set of clothes anyway while you are cooking." Kate tells him.

"In case you go swimming again?" Rick teases.

Since Kate's hands are full she can't punch him so she tries glaring at him. "Something like that."

"Your mother is better. You need to spend more time with her if you want to perfect that technique." Rick tells her.

"Why thank you Castle, that is an excellent idea." Kate teased back.

"I have a big mouth." And Rick gets up and heads for the kitchen. "You want to set up the table on the roof. It should be warm enough tonight with no rain."

"Right after I have Alexis help me pack my saddle bags for tomorrow." Kate starts the process of waking Alexis up.

Rochefort had been relaxing after finding the very nice high end home to take possession of. Problem was it was his third place in the last 1-1/2 years on this backwards technologically challenged planet. At least the predominant life form on this rock closely matched his own.

Just like the previous two he had found it empty, disabled the ridiculously easy security system and had moved in. He used their clothes and ate the food they had left behind, used the pool out back and had read every book they had in the house.

If he was going to be stuck here, he might as well understand this place.

He had been intercepted out in space and a dog fight had taken place. One in which they both lost. By lost he meant they had both crashed on this filthy rock. Since most of his systems were damaged he had no way of knowing where the retrieval guy had crashed.

He had lost his ship and all of his weapons. This place relied on projectiles fired using an explosive substance. He had crashed and had bailed out at the last moment.

It had taken some time but had learned the language and found out he was in a city called New York, in something called America or United States. It was all too confusing. They couldn't even make up their own mind what this place was called.

Some young kids, by the look of their ages and accosted him. He had killed all five of them with ease. In the process he had gained a little money (he found out later), two weapons (both revolvers) and three knives. He had only kept one of the knives as being useful.

He went out nightly to look around and determine who his next target would be.

Those first five kids had only died because they had interfered with him, otherwise he would have upheld his code. Only targets he had selected would be killed. He had yet to kill anyone since those five.

However he had stumbled upon a large cache of weapons hidden in a large building last night. They were hidden in amongst other more non-weapon boxes.

He had killed everyone there but only after interrogating them for information. Then he had painstakingly carried various crates back to the house he was presently at.

He now had 2 crates of some type of semi-automatic weapon. Two more crates with thousands of rounds of ammunition for them. One crate with hand held weapons and two more crates with thousands of rounds of ammunition for them. Plus he had 3 crates of something tagged as hand grenades.

His favorite was a launcher that held five rounds of some type of small rocket or mortar, with 2 crates of ammunition for it.

All of this crap was really old school, not what he was used to using at all. But it was all this planet had, however the military of this America or United States or whatever it was called did however have better stuff. Now he just needed to find it so he could take theirs. And of course kill anyone who tried to stop him.

Best of all he had a target from his interrogation. Someone called Lazarus. He sounded like the perfect target to be eliminated. He was an assassin after all.

If he did this correctly, he could kill him, take his place and then kill everyone associated with him from the inside, and then move on to his next target. There was always someone who thought they were better than him.

Now came the fun part, THE HUNT!


	29. Chapter 29

**CH29**

"**CASTLE!"**

Rick looked over the side. "Come on up you two." Rick calls down from the roof.

Johanna and Lanie make it up to the roof. "Where's Katie? … and Alexis?" Johanna asks him.

"They're both down stairs getting dressed still. I think Kate is nervous, she's changed clothes twice already and forced Alexis to change with her." Rick explains.

"Oh dear, we're in trouble." Johanna moans. They hadn't even made it to the first store yet and Katie can't decide what to wear.

They are all sitting around for almost half an hour when Kate and Alexis finally show up on the roof. "How long have to two been here?"

"Little over an hour." Lanie decides to tease and lay it on thick.

"I'm so sorry, I couldn't make up my mind. We can go now." Kate fell for it.

"We'll be back by dinner Rick. I hope." Johanna tells him.

First stop.

Angelo Lambrou New York  
><em>Couture Wedding Gowns,<em>  
><em>Evening Gowns &amp; Cocktail Dresses<em>

East Village:  
>96 East 7th Street<br>New York, NY 10009

He seemed to like bows and all of them, even Alexis didn't like any of them.

Second stop.

Kleinfeld

110 West 20th Street  
>New York, NY 10011<br>Between 6th and 7th Avenues

Kate and the others only found one that they liked but Kate couldn't get herself to pick it and go home with it.

It was a Pnina Tomai, Sweatheart Princess/ Ball gown in lace.

It was sleeve less and strapless. It had a built-in necklace with a wide lace frill on each side. The main gown was thin and almost skin tight.

Third stop.

RK Bridal New York

318 West 39th Street (between 8th & 9th)  
>New York City, NY 1001<p>

Kate found one she loved.

La Sposa Spring - Igartua (Dress with Beads & Belt)

It too was strap less, however this one had lace sleeves attached that had a floral pattern built into it. Kate added a light and wide lace train that was attached to her hair at a single point that softly flowed onto the floor and trailed behind her.

The belt was extremely thin and almost invisible.

The whole dress was a lot thinner than the other dress at the last store and made her already long legs even longer.

Shopping for a wedding dress was over.

Bridesmaids dress for Lanie.

Impressions Bridesmaids - Fall - Style 20202

It had a black and silver lace strapless top with a silver flowing gown from the waist belt down with a silver belt.

"What's the price?" Kate asks after they have chosen both dresses.

"It doesn't matter." Lanie tells her.

"How can it not matter? I haven't even gotten my first paycheck from work yet." Kate knew she didn't have much or wouldn't have much.

"Because I have Rick's credit card and I also have his orders. Buy whatever she picks and don't pay attention to the price. If she likes it, it's hers. Just make sure she's happy.

So, are you happy?" Lanie asks Kate.

Since Kate was nodding her head and wiping away tears Lanie assumed she was happy.

They arranged to have the wedding dress shipped to Johanna and Jim's house. That way Rick wouldn't see it too soon. Then they went to find something to eat since it was only 3:00 pm.

"We're not done shopping yet." Kate tells them.

"I think Rick has already arranged for everything else, what's left." Lanie didn't understand. Lanie had gone down the list with him, and helped him select items just to make sure he didn't get all testosterone on Kate and her wedding.

"We need a motorcycle helmet for a 2-1/2 year old." Kate grins down at Alexis.

"**REALLY!?" **Alexis looks up at Kate, and watches Kate nod her head. "Really."

Kate gets an immediate hug from Alexis.

It isn't until 5:00 pm when everyone makes it back to the boat.

Rick meets them in the dining room. "Please tell me you found a dress."

Kate launches herself into Rick's arms and hugs him tight. "I love you."

"So what's in the bag?" Rick was curious as he held onto Kate and didn't let go.

Lanie takes it out and then out of the box and puts it on Alexis's head again, like they did at the store to make sure it fit. Youth CL-Y Redline Helmet, $89.99. It was part purple but mostly pink on black.

"The sun doesn't go down for a little while yet." Rick points out.

"Be right back, I gotta get my keys." Kate runs downstairs to the bedroom.

A short time later everyone is out on the dock watching Kate pull her bike out of storage.

With helmet on and Alexis standing next to her Kate mounts the bike. "Ok pumpkin, sit right here for me." Kate pats the area in front of her as Kate tries to push herself back a little to make space. Kate reaches out and lifts Alexis into place.

Rick steps in close and leans down. "If you don't like it you make sure you tell Kate. You hear me." Rick tried to sound serious.

"Yes daddy." And Rick puts her visor down. Then Rick looks at Kate. "Have fun you two and stay safe." Rick backed up.

Kate fired up her bike and gunned it a few times to see if Alexis was afraid of the noise, but she got nothing out of her. So she slowly rode towards the bollards that block access to the dock for cars.

Once past the cars Kate took off and made sure to put a hand on Alexis when she could to make sure she didn't move.

Kate stayed out only 20 minutes and slowly made her way back past the bollards towards everyone who hadn't left and were waiting for them.

Kate killed the bike and helped Alexis get off. "How did it go?" Rick asks Kate.

Kate takes her helmet off and lifts Alexis's visor. "Tell them what you did the whole time." Kate asks of her.

Alexis raises her arms and starts screaming. It got everyone to start laughing. "Great now my daughter is a rebel." Rick moans. That got everyone else to start laughing again.

Johanna and Lanie had accomplished their task so they went home after getting a hug and a thank you from Kate.

"I got to take my daughter shopping for her wedding dress, I'm happy to do it. What I don't promise is not to cry during the wedding." Johanna tells her.

"I can't promise I won't cry either." Kate tells her.

Kate escorts her mom to the car while Rick takes Alexis into the boat and starts working on dinner.

Johanna hugged her daughter. "I'm proud of you honey. I'm really glad I got to do this with you. Rick obviously loves you as does that precious little girl.

I only really hope you know what you are doing with this job choice of yours." Even if Johanna had mentioned it, working with the FBI or NYPD was a hazardous job and she knew her and Jim were going to worry about her.

"I really do love them mom. Right now I'm fine, I'll probably be a mess come December 31st. And yes I'm sure about trying to be a homicide detective. I want to help people mom. I don't want another me out there.

He almost killed me. That has been the most sobering thing." Kate worked at blinking back tears. She was so close to being dead and she knew it. Having Rick and Alexis was the exact opposite.

"Your father and I have made sure as we can that he stays in prison for as long as possible for what he did." Johanna hugged her. "Please don't lose these two honey, not for any reason."

"I love them too much to lose them mom." Kate was convinced that Rick saved her.

Kate was cuddling with Rick in bed after making love to him. "Was it the thrill of the ride or riding a motorcycle that thrilled her?" Rick whispered into her ear since her back was spooned into his front.

Kate twisted around to face him. "You're worried she's going to do what I did. Ride off with some biker because she likes bikes."

Kate had read him a little too well. "Partly. … I'm a parent I worry about everything. I know the training you've had. I helped you and even did it with you, but I'm still going to worry about you."

"I'm not scared Castle. I have training and there are procedures. Is there a risk, yes, but it's what I want to do Castle." Kate was in deep already, stopping now just wasn't an option.

"Kate, I said I'd worry, I'm not asking you not to do it. If you decided you wanted to jump 20 buses with your bike I'd worry. You wanted to be a high rise window washer, I'd worry.

I just want you to do something you want to do and be careful doing it. I want you to be happy Kate. That is what will make me happy." Rick tells her.

"I am happy. You and Alexis make me happy. And Alexis gets involved with a biker guy over my dead body." Kate leans in and gives him a quick kiss.

"Kate?" Rick wasn't sure how to talk about the next subject on his mind or even when.

"Castle?" It sounded important.

"Have you considered ever having your own children?" Rick tried.

"You mean our children?" Kate interprets.

"Well I'm certainly not having children with anyone else, especially since we're going to be married. I've been in a cheating marriage. I know how much damage that causes. And I don't mean tomorrow. I just want to know if you have thought about it." Rick tells her.

Kate snuggled in a little closer till her lips were just a fraction of away from his. "I'm marrying you because I love you. I don't think I could even breathe without you. I know I'm only 20 and that you're older than I am. But I don't care.

You make my heart race every time you touch me. I miss you when I'm at work and I still feel empty when Alexis isn't in my arms. I want to protect her and love her constantly.

Lanie calls it an addiction based on love instead of heroin or cocaine. Only this time I don't want a cure. I want this addiction and I don't ever want to lose it.

And yes I've thought about having our children. I just don't know when. For now I'm just enjoying the one I have. Why, do you have a plan?" Kate snuggled in a little closer and put a leg over him.

"You keep that up and we're going to have more children a whole lot sooner." Rick whispers into her lips.

"Promises, promises." Kate kisses the tip of his nose. And then reaches down to entice little Rickie to come out and play for round 3.

Rick decided turn about was fair play so he reached down to check her folds to see if she was wet, and got Kate to instantly moan and attack his lips with hers.

**It was now 2 months later:**

They had been forced to wait until Kate got off work, which for today coincided with Lanie being off work so her along with Johanna and Jim were all on the boat for dinner.

Rick cleaned off the table and walked back in with a cake that had 3 candles on it, at which point everyone started singing happy birthday.

Alexis was officially 3 now.

"Make a wish and blow them out." Rick told her. And amazingly Alexis sat there and looked like she was concentrating and then took in a deep breath and worked on blowing out her 3 candles. Not noticing that Kate was helping.

Kate wanted her little girl to get her wish since she was had obviously put some thought into it.

Rick cut up the cake and placed pieces on plates and then came back out with some ice cream to go next to the cake.

After all that were presents that Alexis knew how to open with reckless abandon. Having been taught by her father well.

This time all she got was new clothes, since she was fast out growing the ones she had. Some new books to read and a new Video to watch. It was a classic. Disney's Bambi. Johanna had made sure using Kate that they didn't have that one yet.

It was likely going to bring up questions that were going to be hard on Kate and Rick to answer, but it was a Disney Classic.

Halloween was coming up fast and Rick was busy trying to figure out what theme to have everyone wearing this year.

They all already had plans to have Thanksgiving at Johanna and Jim's house, since Johanna had insisted on doing the cooking this time. Rick, Katie and Alexis could be the ones to go home with left-overs this time.

Christmas was already planned to be at the boat, followed by the wedding on the 31st. January 1st would be their first day as a married couple.

Rick finally came up with dressing as Jack Skellington (it required Rick to wear a round head that looked like a skeleton), while Kate would be Sally (it required her to wear yet another wig, this time very bright red and wear white gloves to make it look like her arms were sewn on), while Alexis was dressed up as Tinker Bell. Complete with wings.

Kate did her best to walk around a little stiff, since she was sewn together. Rick did his best to run around and be comical, meaning his normal self. While Alexis walked around whacking Rick and Kate with her wand, trying to fix them with her fairy magic.

Johanna and Jim had caught wind of Rick's plan and ended up at the same mall, not dressed up. They did however both show up with camera's and took pictures of the three everywhere they went.

"They're for my scrap book." Johanna explains.

"Just so long as you're the only one who sees that scrap book." Kate had countered. She still didn't know how she let Castle talk her into dressing up each year. Alexis was the only child in the family after all. Well most of the time the only child.

Still Kate was grinning at the end of the day as they both tried to limit the amount of candy Alexis ingested.

It took a little while to get all the make-up off. Almost as long as it took to put it on. "So, did you have fun?" Rick asks Kate as he bends over to look at her in the mirror while she was busy trying to get her make-up off, and watching and feeling Rick kiss the top of her head.

Kate grinned because she hadn't wanted to do it in the first place. "Yes."

"I told you I could bring the kid in you out to play." Rick kisses her head again. "Now hurry up and get clean and come to bed. … Oh and don't bother wearing anything. It's just going to come off if you do."

"Oh you think you're going to get lucky tonight do you?" Kate just had to tease him.

"I've been lucky ever since the day that building fell on you and brought you into our lives. This is just icing on the cake." Rick kisses her head again and walks out of view.

Kate could feel her heart flip in her chest as she stopped breathing. She had gotten lucky that day too. It was the first day of her new life after 2 years of hell. She was going to make love to him tonight, she knew that for sure. However she WAS going to wear a little something.

She hadn't worn that little baby doll thing Rick had bought her at Victoria's Secret for a while now. Tonight was going to be one of those times. She could already feel her nipples hardening at the thought of what Rick was going to do to her. After he painstakingly took it right back off of her.

Three orgasms later and Kate was lying on top of Rick as he laid on his back slowly stroking her hair then started doodling on her back, leaving a trail of fire on her skin wherever his fingers went.

Kate was stated and those fingers were heating her back up again and she was thinking about getting up and being on top this time. "Rick we need to go shopping soon." Kate wanted to get something and she was convinced she was going to need his money to buy it.

Kate had gotten a few paychecks from work so far and the first one had been used to pay him back for getting her motorcycle insurance for her. Kate loved him and liked that they had money, but she wanted to feel useful in that area too.

"And what do you want to spend your money on this time?" Rick asked as he continued to draw doodles along her back and shoulder. It had Kate suddenly start doing the same along the lower area of his stomach.

She was instantly rewarded with watching his erection grow. "I need to find a rain suit for when it rains and I'm riding my bike." Up until now Rick had been driving her into work when it rained or came and got here when she was off work and it was now raining. Forcing her to leave her bike behind in the garage.

"We can do that on your next day off work." Rick told her, then suddenly sucked in his breathe when Kate took a hold of his erection.

Kate had kissed both Rick and Alexis goodbye in the morning as she rode her bike into work.

Kate soon found herself in the garage and not remembering how she got there. Most of her thoughts were on her and Rick's conversation about having more children.

Kate was almost 21, just a few more days to go. She was wondering what Rick had planned since this time they would be celebrating it on time this year. She had also been thinking about when to have more children.

They were making love to each other literally every night, and each time was never just once and done. Unlike before Rick found her. He would pound into her and then roll over. He fucked her where Rick made love to her.

Kate was still sitting on her bike lost in thought. Even now she craved having Rick around, she loved his touch, the sound of his voice and the smell of him. His smell was unique. She also craved the smell of both of them after sex. The mix of him and her was intoxicating.

However she also felt the need to have Alexis near. Kate was squeezing her handles without knowing it, wishing her arms were wrapped around her daughter.

Then it hit her, Alexis WAS her daughter. Not just Rick's or an Alexis that she loved, she really was HER daughter. Then the screeching of tires woke her up. Time to go upstairs and start the work day. And ache to have Rick and/or Alexis in her arms again like all the other days.

A feeling that she never, ever wanted to lose. For any reason.


	30. Chapter 30

**CH30**

**Kate's birthday:**

Kate didn't get any cake or any ice cream or even any wrapped presents, except for the one from her parents. What she got was a card from Rick.

Problem was she had to work on her birthday, so Rick gave her the card three days later and then told her to go get dressed.

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Kate came home with five new dresses, one of which was a one-off designer dress that she had fallen in love with the moment she saw it. Kate had tried not to pay attention to it because even though it was on sale for $12,000, it was still too much money. Rick had noticed and bought it for her anyway. Despite her protests.

Now, with dresses safely tucked away in the trunk of the car, a giddy and happy Kate was being driven to their next destination.

Chuck E. Cheese's

280 Saint Nicholas Ave Fl 2New York, NY

"Chuck E. Cheese's? Really Castle." Kate had thought they would go to some nice restaurant. Nothing too fancy, since they weren't dressed for it, but here?

However it was all Kate could do to keep up with Alexis as she went around playing every game she could lay her hands on, with Kate playing along right next to her.

Alexis soon had Kate squealing and laughing right along with her. Then they sat down to eat some of the worst food Kate had ever eaten. Even Alexis barely touched it. And Rick was all set not to pay for it, but he did anyway.

Then Alexis was back up running around doing it all over again with Kate right behind her.

They were gone all day and Kate was dragging herself back up the stairs to find Rick sitting in the living room waiting for her after tucking Alexis into bed and kissing her good night.

"How's Alexis?" Rick asks her already sure of the response.

"She was asleep the second her head hit the pillow." Kate sits down next to Rick and melts into his body, or at least tries to.

"How was your birthday? Well delayed birthday." Rick could tell she had a good time, but wanted to hear it.

"It was amazing Castle. The dresses are amazing. You should never have spent that much money, but thank you anyway. And Chuck E. Cheese's. … I thought you were out of your mind, but it was fun too. Alexis had a blast." Kate was tired and content.

"And watching you chase after her laughing and giggling the whole way was a memory I'm going to keep for a long time. … So what do you want to do now?" The night wasn't over yet.

"Cuddle and melt into you. … I love you more than I thought I would ever love anyone. What did I do to deserve you?" Kate tried her best to find an even better snuggle spot on Rick's body.

"I think you've got it wrong Kate. It's what did I do to deserve you. I was convinced I was cursed when it came to women in my life. Then you came along and changed all that." Rick still didn't know why or how.

"Rick, … Lanie said she tried to convince you to take me to the hospital or at least call the police. Instead you kept me. … why?" It wasn't that Kate wasn't grateful, but why. She was messed up and addicted to drugs.

"Lanie asked me that question too. I don't know that I have an answer for you. … It just felt like the right thing to do. Something, … I don't know. Even though I'm a writer, I just don't have the words for what I felt when I saw you crawling away from that building. Or what I was feeling when I drove all of us away from there." Rick still didn't understand it.

"All of us? You mean Alexis was in the car with you?" Kate didn't remember that part.

"We were headed for the museum, just like that one time we went with you when Alexis was attacked. We were headed there to have one of our adventures. We came home with an adventure instead." Rick chuckled.

They had been celebrating her and Alexis's birthday's, but when was Castle's birthday or even her parents? "Castle, when's your birthday? Why have we not been celebrating it?"

Kate was 21 now. Kate knew Rick was older, just not how much older.

"April 1st, 1969, and I prefer celebrating other people's birthdays then my own, so ..." Rick answers her question.

1969, her's is 1980 so he's 11 years older than her? He looked older than her, but didn't act that much older. But 11 years!?

11 years. If she waits until her 30's to have their first child he'll be, how old? Kate snuggled in a little closer. She was going to need to be pregnant sooner than she thought. If she waited too long he would really be an old man when they graduated high school. She couldn't do that to him.

Maybe her fist year as a homicide detective? If she gave him children now she might never be a homicide detective. Can she have her dream and children?

Kate made up her mind, their first child would be after she made detective or 4 years from now at the most. If it came sooner than that, they would work out something somehow.

Satisfied with her decision she adjusted her position and snuggled in a little closer.

Rick had been scared when she asked that question. He already knew Kate was turning 21. She was still young, almost a child still. Except that she had grown up a lot this last year.

She had taken on Alexis, recovered from her addiction, decided to get married, and was even pushing to know when. And wanted a career in law enforcement. Only 20 when she took her FBI training and had proved herself.

And she hadn't panicked when she found out his exact age. In fact she had snuggled in even closer.

She was perfect!

Rick, Kate and Alexis had only just arrived and been greeted by Jim when Johanna called out. "Katie get in here." They never saw Kate again until it was time to eat.

Rick had to admit that Johanna was a good cook. If she taught Kate how to cook like this he might be in trouble.

The conversation went a lot better this Thanksgiving then it did last year. Both Rick and Kate were getting used to Jim and Johanna so it made it easier.

Kate got to learn where Jim and Johanna met and fell in love. How they fought the attraction between them until Jim finally asked her out. Their first kiss.

"I kissed her while we were at work one day and I was so convinced she was going to hit me for it." Jim told them.

"I kissed him back and then he started fumbling backwards, trying to apologize for kissing me. If I didn't want him to kiss me I wouldn't have kissed him back." Johanna punched his arm yet again.

It got Kate to grin since she had started punching Castle in the arm whenever he teased her.

"It took us 4 years to finally figure out and tell that we loved each other." Johanna tells them.

"Part of the problem was that we worked in the same office. And I think both of us heard all the horror stories about being involved in a relationship in the same office. But that never actually became a problem after we started dating." Jim explained.

"But you're not in the same office now." Rick points out.

"Jim was so much better with companies than I ever was. I preferred to work with people who needed a lawyer. Most of my clients don't have that much money or are already in prison because their lawyer didn't even know how to spell his name." Johanna explains. "So after we were married for a few years I quit and opened my own office. I have 3 employees that I'm teaching everything I know to."

"Jo is doing what she loves, which allows me to bring in all the money." Jim explains which earns him another punch in the arm.

"Only one child." Rick noticed.

"Katie turned out to be a surprise. A very wonderful surprise, but we never got around to trying intentionally for another. Jo hadn't changed jobs yet and we were both so terribly busy. We got caught up in our jobs." Jim explains. Alexis who had been quiet finally yawned without covering her mouth not knowing any better yet.

"Looks like it's time to put her to bed." Johanna points out.

Johanna held Kate behind for a moment. "Please don't take that you're unexpected or an only child wrong Katie. We still loved you and still do."

"I know mom. Alexis was a surprise too, but I love her dearly. I don't know what I'm going to do when she gets too big to sit in my lap so I can't wrap my arms around her anymore." Kate confides.

Johanna had noticed that Kate had spent the day with Alexis in her lap with her arms around her. It was one of the things that had made her heart flip. Her daughter was so in love with someone else's daughter.

"Just don't do anything to lose these two honey. Don't let some other man come around and try and wooo you away or entice you with more money. Try and do new things as often as you can. Don't let things get stale." Johanna offers.

"There is only Castle, he, ... I mean when I'm not near him, ..." This was embarrassing talking to her mother about how she loves Castle's touch, his voice, how handsome he is, his smell and the smell of THEM after sex.

"You had boyfriends that you brought home honey, but none of them were like Rick is. I just worry." Johanna explains.

"It's your job because you're a parent." Kate tells her. It got Johanna to grin since it sounded like Kate already knew that one. Probably because of Alexis.

"Go home and love your future husband honey. We'll be over later." Johanna hugged her and got hugged back.

"Bye mom."

Christmas was at the boat again. There was a short conversation about it being at their house next year, but it never actually got anywhere. Not that Jim or Johanna cared. So long as Katie was involved that was enough for them.

Johanna had shoved Rick out of his own kitchen however and it was quickly followed by. "Katie get in here." Johanna was going to teach her daughter how to cook if it killed her.

Kate had been given the day off, even though she had fought against it. Hence she had been home all day and not ridden her bike into work.

Rick had decided that the place needed a few more Christmas decorations. "Just where are we going to put all this Castle?" Kate already knew that storage was an issue. As big as the boat was, it was all living space and not a whole lot of storage space.

It didn't stop Castle from going out however. But when he came back empty handed. "I put it in your bike storage area for now."

It was a big space and could easily hold two bikes if Kate decided she wanted another one. Kate figured she could share space with whatever Castle had brought home. How big could it be?

"You are a good cook Johanna. Where were you when I needed you about 2 years ago?" Rick was shoveling it into his mouth.

"Actually Katie cooked half of this, I just supervised." Johanna corrected him.

"I knew there was something about you I loved." Rick teased. And since Kate was on the other side of the table from him, that meant his arm was out of reach so Kate glared at him, then kicked him in the shin.

Alexis had stopped eating long ago even though Kate had cut up some more turkey for her to eat along with some green bean casserole. Alexis was however occasionally picking the oranges out of her salad still.

The women left it to the men to clean up the mess since the women had made it.

Now sitting in the living room with coffee. "NOW?" Alexis asked.

"Yes pumpkin, now." Kate let her loose.

Alexis dove for her presents that she had long ago separated out from all the others, and soon had ripped wrapping paper all over.

Two of the bigger ones under the tree, so to speak, were tagged for Johanna. One was from Rick and one was from Kate. One turned out to be a large countertop mixer while the other was a pasta maker.

Kate had gotten her father a new watch, and Rick got a card. After opening it, it read. "I O U, ask me when we are alone together." Rick was ready to grab her and take her somewhere anywhere to be alone so she could tell him, but he didn't. He had his own surprise.

Kate had gotten still more recipes from Johanna, but she also got a necklace. Kate had immediately taken the one she was wearing off that had her engagement ring around it and put the ring on this one instead and then put it on.

Kate found a card that had a surprise for her inside. It was a time and date to have gun safes installed on the boat. They would be a place for Kate to store her gun that Alexis couldn't accidently get to. There were going to be three of them. They were biometric. All she had to do was swipe her thumb or finger over the pad to open them.

It brought tears to Kate's eyes. She had been worried about having a gun on the boat that Alexis might find. Kate had been hiding it in their bedroom. This was a much better option.

"I've got one more for you." Rick tells her and stands up. "Come on pumpkin, it's time." And they all watched Alexis drop her new toy and race for her dad. Then they both disappeared down the stairs.

"You know what this is about?" Kate asked her parents.

"Don't have a clue Katie." Even their faces showed surprise at what Rick was up to.

It took a while and Kate was just about ready to go downstairs and find out what was going on when she heard Rick stomping his way up the stairs. It was strange, since Rick never stomped. He was light as a feather most of the time. This sounded heavy.

Then Rick and Alexis came round the corner and Jim and Johanna's eyes bugged out while Kate slapped her hands over her mouth and gasped.

Alexis was wearing a black A2800 kids basic motorcycle jacket made of lambskin leather AND A2495 kids plain lined leather chaps. She even had leather boots on that looked way too big for her little feet.

Rick was similarly dressed only it was sized for adults. His big black leather boots helped explain the noise coming up the stairs.

They were both just so cute it had Kate crying in an instant. "What, ...?"

"My wife is a rebel and has turned our daughter into a rebel, I figured why fight it when I can join them. I even have a motorcycle. It's parked out next to yours now." Rick explains.

"You, ... you have a bike!?" Kate wipes away tears.

"It's a **1999 Harley Fat Boy FLSTF motorcycle** which is powered by a 1999 FLSTF 1340cc engine.

I've even been taking riding lessons with Alexis here for the last two weeks while you've been at work. I even have my certificate of completion." Rick reaches into his jacket and pulls out a piece of paper and hands it over to Kate.

"You two, ... you!?" Kate jumps up. "Wait right there, don't move." And Kate races down the stairs.

Kate throws her clothes everywhere not caring where they end up and goes fishing in the closet for what she wants.

It was a struggle, it always was to be honest, and then races back upstairs after putting her boots on.

Rick however is being interrogated by Jim and Johanna and taking pictures of Alexis in her leather outfit.

Kate emerges from the stairs wearing her skin tight leathers. Seeing Kate in something that looked like they were painted on instantly had Rick's attention.

Kate strides right over to Rick and kisses him, then bends over to kiss Alexis. "We need pictures! ... Mom, dad?" Kate arranges everyone the way she wants them. Then again and again and again.

"You did this for me?" Kate was still in shock.

"A family that rides together stays together." Rick offers. It only got Kate to cry even more.

She loved him and she was marrying him. Maybe a quick honeymoon on their bikes?

Kate saw Rick's bike when she left for work the next morning. Hers was mostly black and brown with some chrome. Rick's was mostly black and red with some chrome. It was a little bigger and a little wider.

Kate instantly had a picture of them riding down the road dressed in leather. She couldn't help but squeal and dance a little before getting on her bike and waving goodbye on her way into work.


	31. Chapter 31

**CH31**

**Wedding day:**

All the guys were on the boat while all the women were at Jim and Johanna's home.

It was the first time Roy Montgomery got to meet Rick and it was the first time his wife Evelyn got to meet Kate.

Johanna was busy applying Kate's make-up, finding out that she needed to teach her that too, again. While Lanie was waiting to do her hair. "Will you hold still!" Johanna scolded her daughter.

"I'm trying." Kate turned to glare at her mother. "I'm getting married and I'm only doing this once."

"I certainly hope so or your father and I are going to kill you." Johanna went back to working on Kate's face.

"There! … Your turn, and good luck with her." Johanna turned to Lanie.

Lanie was only about half done. "Why can't I see?" Kate was squirming and not facing any mirrors.

"Just sit still or this is going to take twice as long." Lanie was ready to slap her.

Meanwhile Rick was being driven to the hotel. "You ok over there?" Roy asks him with cars for the other guys right behind them.

"Yes, … no, … maybe. It's not like I haven't done this before. Well actually I haven't. My first wedding was hasty and had absolutely no flash of any kind. Meredith wouldn't let me spend a penny on the wedding. I should never have been involved with her in the first place." Rick was still not over how he got into that mess. He did at least get Alexis out of the deal.

"OK, let's get you dressed and then you can look." Lanie tells Kate. Johanna, Lanie and Evelyn proceed to squeeze Kate into her wedding dress. With the sleeves being so feather light and attached it made it difficult. They saved the train for after they got her to the hotel.

Then they put Kate in front of the mirror. Kate wasn't even sure it was her. Alexis was standing off to one side, while Johanna, Lanie and Evelyn were right behind her.

However in Kate's mind she could see Rick standing right behind her. "Do you see what I saw months ago now?"

"I'm pretty." Kate couldn't believe it. The thing she saw in the mirror a year ago was gone and replaced with this. Now she saw what Rick saw.

"Don't start crying now honey, you'll ruin all my hard work." Except Johanna was starting to ruin hers. Her daughter was simply gorgeous and she was getting married.

"Let's get you to the hotel while we still can." Lanie suggested.

"I'll get the make-up bag. I think we're going to need it." Johanna was pretty sure. For her or for Kate she didn't know.

Evelyn took the flowers and the train.

The space was pretty good sized and meant for bigger groups, they didn't fill it with their little group. Still Rick didn't mind. He was only looking for just one person.

They had Kate in a side room with Johanna, all the others were in the main room with Jim just outside the door.

Johanna made adjustments to Kate's make-up and attached the train to the back of her head. Opening the door. "She's yours Jim."

"I'm getting married dad." Kate tried mightily not to cry.

"And except for your mother, a prettier bride I've never seen. But then I'm biased." Jim tells her, getting Kate to chuckle, which did the trick.

Then they heard a knock. "Let's go honey, someone is waiting for you."

Kate could feel her dad and hear the music, but all she saw was the man at the other end. She had never seen him in a tuxedo before. He looked more handsome than ever.

Jim left her in Rick's hands and faded back to stand with his wife who was already well on her way to crying.

Rick went first. "I still don't have words for what I saw when I found you, I probably never will, but I'm still the luckiest man alive when I did. … You brought me out into the open with your love and determination. … I literally can't imagine a life without you in it. … I happily ask you again to marry me so we can show the world what true love really is."

Rick's vows had Kate ruining her make-up, she just knew it.

Kate was next. "I was so lost when I found you. … You opened my heart and made me better. … You gave me back my dreams and gave me a future. … I love you with every fiber that is a part of me. I literally can't live without you in my life. …. I happily ask you to marry me and show each other what true love really is." Kate at the last second decided to add a piece of what Rick had said.

Jim holding onto Johanna was the only reason she was still sitting in her chair. Her and Jim both knew the history of what it took for Kate to get to this point and it was all their dreams had ever hoped for.

Everyone had eaten, they all had drinks in their hands, Alexis was with a nanny that was hired to watch her sleep, since it was really late and she couldn't keep her eyes open any longer.

"5, … 4, … 3, …. 2, … 1, …. Happy New Year!" Confetti flew, balloons in bags at the ceiling were opened, a few had party horns, and they all had Champagne to drink.

"Happy New Year Mrs. Castle." Rick turns to smile at his wife.

Kate smiles back. "Happy New Year Mr. Castle." And they meet in the middle for a long slow kiss.

"**I'M NOT TOO LATE AM I?" **A new voice yells out. She strides right up to Rick. "Rickey, Kitten, you're not marrying this junkie are you? You could do so much better."

"MEREDITH!? … What the hell are you doing here?" Rick could barely believe his eyes. He hadn't seen her in 2 years and she shows up at his wedding. "How did you get here?"

"Your publisher sent me, and it's a good thing too. You might have actually married this piece of trash." Meredith glares at Kate.

"My publisher sent you." Rick was having a hard time wrapping his mind around what is going on.

"This is Meredith?" Kate asks looking at Rick. Then watches Rick nod his head.

It was telegraphed with countless seconds to react, but Meredith never saw it coming. Kate wound up mightily and with every ounce of strength she had, COLD COCKED Meredith right in the jaw.

What she didn't know was that a certain someone decided to add a shot of adrenalin into her system which only increased her strength.

Kate sent Meredith flying across the floor. Everyone could hear something snap in the process.

Meredith landed in a heap a few feet away and didn't move again. Kate just stood there fuming. "That bitch tried to kill Alexis." Kate was huffing and puffing while still standing there, mad as hell.

That got Roy's attention along with the two FBI trainers that had come to the wedding.

Johanna grabbed Kate, Lanie went to look at Meredith and Roy pulled out his phone.

Roy pulled Kate aside while Lanie looked at Meredith and Jim stood next to Rick.

"My publisher sent her. … Gina sent my ex-wife to my wedding. How did she even know about the wedding anyway? I never told her." Rick however was getting madder and madder. Then he pulled out his phone. "PETER, we need to talk."

Lanie had pulled out her phone and called for an ambulance.

After Meredith was gone, still unconscious and Lanie was standing next to Roy and Kate. "Her jaw has been dislocated. They'll snap it back in place at the hospital. It'll be sore and she'll be eating liquids for a few days, but she'll be fine. …. How did she know to even come here?" Lanie knew who Meredith was. Rick had long ago told her everything.

"She said Castle's publisher sent her, probably to stop the wedding." Kate was calming down but was shaking as the adrenalin wore off.

"It's a good thing you didn't have a gun then, I'd a shot her." Lanie tells them.

"Can I, it's not too late, she can't have gotten far yet." Kate was only too willing to do more damage as she looked up at her boss.

"Beckett?" Roy needed answers.

Kate and Lanie proceeded to tell him everything they both knew about Meredith and Gina.

Roy had a problem, sort of. His officer had assaulted someone. Granted she had cause since she was marrying Rick who already had a child, whom Roy had met briefly.

Johanna stayed with Kate while Jim was listening to everything Rick was saying on the phone, since he couldn't hear the person on the other end.

"Who's this Gina?" Jim asked after Rick hung up.

"Gina Cowell, she's my publisher here in New York. Peter was my publisher in L.A." Rick tells him. Then he walks over to Kate who looked calmer.

As soon as Rick touched Kate. "What was she doing here Castle? Why did she say your publisher sent her?" Kate wanted answers.

"I don't know, I never even told Gina I was getting married and I haven't seen or heard from Meredith since the divorce. Last I knew she was still in L.A." Rick threw up his hands.

"Who is this Gina?" Johanna asks. And Kate proceeds to inform her mother all she knew about Gina.

"That still leaves us with a problem. Officer Beckett here assaulted her." Roy points out.

"LIKE HELL! … She broke into a private party and tried to disrupt my daughter's wedding. If I had known who she was I'd have hit her too.

Who is this publisher that this Gina is with?" Johanna was mad. Someone was screwing with her daughter's wedding after all she had been through.

"Gina is with Black Pawn, … Publishing." Rick responds, not sure what Johanna has in mind.

"Corporate problem. … Jim?" Johanna turns to her husband.

"On it." And Jim pulls out his phone and walks away.

"Nothing to worry about honey, I'll have this Meredith screaming UNCLE in no time." Johanna pulls out her phone and walks away.

"She ruined my wedding Rick. It was perfect and it's my day and she ruined it." Kate turned and moved into Rick who had his arms around her instantly.

"The wedding was perfect Kate. New Years was just as perfect. The party after New Year's is what's been damaged." Rick corrects her.

Kate sniffles and wipes her nose. "I'm going to shoot Gina, Castle I swear to god I'm going to shoot her." Kate didn't move and just held onto Rick.

"I've already talked to Peter, he's going to talk to Black Pawn. Gina will be fired before the day is over. She's no longer going to be a problem." Rick tells her.

Johanna has come back and is off the phone. "This Meredith isn't going to be a problem." Johanna announces.

"She called me a junkie and trash mom. A junkie!" Kate still felt hurt. This was her day and it was ruined.

"How did either of them know Kate used to have a drug problem?" Rick stood up straight at Johanna's question.

"I didn't tell her. As far as I know the only people who know are in this room, and I can count them on one hand." Rick tells them.

"There is two more." Johanna points out. Getting blank looks from Kate and Rick. "The biker guy who got her hooked in the first place, and the detective we worked with when Jim and I were looking for her."

"I thought he was in prison?" Rick points out.

"He is." Johanna pulls out her phone again and walks off.

Jim is back. "Black Pawn is going to receive a court date as soon as they open tomorrow, since they are likely closed today. I'm going to put them through the ringer because of this Gina." Jim announces.

Johanna comes back. "I've got someone looking into who has had contact with this Winger person. I've also got someone putting a subpoena together to get a list of his guests and his email and phone records. All phone calls are recorded and those have been added to the list." Johanna was going to find out who he told if it killed her. "I'm also going to see that captain somebody." Johanna was too mad to remember his name at the moment.

Roy and the 2 FBI guys walk over. "I've got our PR department working on this." Roy tells them. "As far as your job is concerned, I don't see a problem. As to what this Meredith person does personally, it has no effect on your job."

"Thank you sir." Kate hadn't thought about her job yet over what she had done. She just knew how much she hated Meredith for almost getting an abortion and killing Alexis whom she loved so dearly.

"Mrs. Castle, I know a hand to hand combat trainer in Quantico who would love to teach you. From what I saw you have promise. It's been a while since I've seen anyone fly that far. You just say the word." And the FBI trainer that was a guest to the wedding hands her his card.

Kate was grinning. She hadn't expected Meredith to travel that far either.

Wait, he was the first person to officially call her Mrs. Castle. It had her grinning, she was married!

"I believe this is a party, where's the Champagne?" Rick was ready to pick up where they left off before his brain dead ex-wife showed up because of his pain in the ass publisher.

Rick held onto Kate while everyone else walked away to go find that glass of Champagne. "We never talk about Meredith in front of Alexis. You're her mother, I don't want to confuse her." Rick asked of her.

"That woman goes anywhere near my little girl over my dead body Castle." Kate hated Meredith with a passion. It earned her a kiss from Rick.

"Let's celebrate Mrs. Castle." Rick smiles at her.

Martha and her husband had spent the entire time standing on the sidelines. Her son and new daughter didn't need her input. Her parents and their friends seemed to have everything covered. It wasn't until they were both ready to leave that Martha talked to her.

"Don't let Meredith get to you Katherine. You're more mother and woman then she will ever be. She may have given Richard a child, but he had to fight her for that honor. YOU have made him happy and changed him and Alexis is your child. Don't ever forget that.

Welcome to the family dear." Martha gives Kate another motherly hug.

It had been a long day and they were finally home with Alexis in her bed and they in theirs, cuddling.

"Happy Mrs. Castle?" Rick whispers out while on his back with Kate lying on top of him.

"Very, it was almost perfect." Kate kisses his bare chest.

"I am sorry about that. I never even in my wildest dreams saw that coming. It sounds like your parents have it covered." Rick comments.

"I know Rick, I'm not blaming you, and it helps when your parents are lawyers." Kate adds.

"There is still one thing I don't understand. Even if Gina did get it from your biker guy, how did she find out about him?" Rick was confused about that. "But I have a question. … You gave me an IOU, and we're alone." Rick points out.

Kate sort of got up and propped herself up on an elbow so she could look at him. "I decided that the day I make it to being a homicide detective I want to try and make a baby. Our baby, unless there is a happy accident before then." Kate explains, and it had Rick grinning and loving her even more.

"You've planned this and thought about this haven't you." Rick was a little shocked that she had it all planned out.

"You don't approve?" Kate was now worried. It all made sense in her mind.

"Oh I approve, I just hadn't thought you had it all planned out." Did Kate think everything with such precision? Maybe he should have seen that coming since he knew her relatively well. However she was still growing up, changing right in front of him.

"I was afraid I wouldn't make it to homicide detective if I was pregnant too early, and I'm only 21. Three or four years from now and I'll still be relatively young." Kate points out. "And Alexis will only be about 6 when the baby comes. She'll be sure that she is established and not afraid she is being replaced. … I hope." Kate did fear what Alexis would think. Alexis would be away in school and may think she is being replaced since she is gone and the baby isn't.

"We'll talk to her, make sure she is ready." Rick tells her.

Kate went back to lying on top of Rick feeling better about her choice. "And for the record, I would love to have a child or more with you." Getting Kate to grin and kiss his chest again.

Her plans and dreams were working out.


	32. Chapter 32

**CH32**

This is the Sci-fi section. If you have a problem with Sci-fi skip this chapter, however that will make future chapters harder to understand.

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It was only two days later and Kate and Rick knew her parents were working hard to find out what was going on.

Jim had hand delivered the paperwork about what Gina had done. Black Pawn had told him that Gina had already been fired and were hoping that they could avoid a trial. Jim however had politely told them to go to hell.

Johanna had an appointment to see the captain they had been working with to help find their daughter. The order for the warden of the prison Winger was in had received the documentation to have everything assembled and turned over to Johanna.

It was too cold out to go for a family bike trip, so it was delayed until early spring. Kate however was riding her bike into work. Rick had taken her out shopping for new rain gear and cold weather gear.

Kate had the day off and was in the kitchen thinking over what to make for lunch. One of the things that her mother had taught her. Rick was in his office typing. There was a weeklong book signing planned in two weeks. New York, Boston, Philadelphia and DC. However with this mess involving Gina and Black Pawn that was presently on hold.

It had been Gina's idea so everything she had planned was now in flux.

Kate heard her phone ping telling her that she had a new text message. Kate pulled it out thinking it would be from either her mother of dad.

"I need to talk to you. It is very important is this a good time?"

It wasn't from a number from another phone, in fact her phone didn't tell her much of anything except the message. "Who is this?" Kate types back.

"Is this a good time? It is important" Came back very quickly.

"Tell me who you are." Kate wasn't talking to just anyone.

"I am S.T.A.R.S. Unit 117, you are my host." Came back.

"S.T.A.R.S.?" Kate typed.

"Specialized Tactical Autonomous Retrieval System. You are my new host."

"Host? What is a host?" None of this made sense to Kate. S.T.A.R.S. Didn't mean anything to her either.

"There was a combat out in space inside of your planetary system. My host and I were trying to retrieve someone and bring him to justice. We both lost and crashed on your planet."

Combat, Host, retrieve, Justice. What the hell was going on?

"As calculated my host did not survive the impact and died from his massive injuries. I found you and attached myself to you. You are my new host."

Crash, host? "What do you mean host?"

"You are my new host. I am attached to your spinal column and have been repairing your body and removing your dependency on an any unwanted foreign substances."

"**CASTLE! **…. **"CASTLE!"** Kate yelled out.

The sound of her voice had Rick running into the kitchen with Alexis right behind him, since she had heard Kate's tone of voice too.

"Kate? What?" Rick looked her over wondering if she had burned herself. This was her first time cooking on her own without him or Johanna.

Kate however handed him her phone and let him read.

"What is S.T.A.R.S.? And what does it mean host? Who is this really?" Rick looked at her.

Kate however shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. This was a first for her too.

"Who are you?" Rick types in.

"S.T.A.R.S. Unit 117."

"Explain, who is this really? This is NYPD you are dealing with." Rick types in. Maybe being with police would scare whoever this was off.

"I am S.T.A.R.S. Unit 117. After the crash I found you and attached myself to your spinal column. I have spent the last standard solar cycle repairing your body and removing your dependence on two foreign unwanted substances that were causing damage to your body."

"Wait!" Rick scrolled backwards and re-read something. "It said there was a crash a year ago." Rick points out and shows Kate.

"The building where you found me." Kate's head jerks up and stares at Rick.

"How host?" Rick types.

"I landed on your back and burrowed my way into your body and attached myself to your spinal column. There was minor damage during this process. I have repaired that and all other damage."

"The pain and why I couldn't walk without pain." Kate recalls that time.

"Explain foreign substances." Rick types.

"Mommy, dad?" Alexis was being left out.

"It's just some text messages pumpkin. We are talking to someone." Kate tries to ease her fears.

"You were addicted to two foreign unwanted substances. They had damaged your lungs and blood supply. This in turn had damaged your liver and kidneys. They had also affected your neuron pathways. Some were damaged and new ones formed. Those have been repaired also as much as is possible."

"Addicted. … It means the heroin and cocaine." Rick thinks he has that part correct.

"Lanie said my blood work was all messed up." Kate adds.

"Neuron pathways are memories." Rick adds.

"How do we know this is real?" Rick types.

"You attempted to leave and obtain more unwanted substances. I temporarily affected your motor skills to prevent it before repairs could be completed. It was an emergency method. It only lasted for a moment."

"I couldn't walk!" Kate remembers. That caused Rick to remember.

"Only you and I know that. I haven't even told Lanie. I haven't even truly explained that day to Alexis." Rick points out.

Kate takes the phone back from Rick. "What do you want?"

"My host and I were on a mission to retrieve someone and bring him to justice. I require your help now to complete my mission. He crashed on this planet also."

"That's twice it has mentioned 'Justice'." Rick points out. "It kinda sounds like it is a cop." Rick takes the phone back.

"You said crashed here. You are not from this planet?" Rick types.

"Negative."

Kate takes the phone back. "Are you a parasite? Mechanical or biological?" Rick had to agree that was a good question.

"I am a computer system that is teamed with a host body. I am attached to your spinal column. My existence allows for your back to survive severe damage. I am designed to assist a host within a justice system."

"Mechanical then." Rick points out.

"You said repair, how?" Kate types.

"I have built thousands of medical nanites and introduced them into your system to repair you. I used these nanites to repair your organs, clean your lungs and blood work. They have also been used to repair your neuron pathways to your memories. I have no way of knowing what these memories are, only repair the neuron pathways allowing you to access them again."

"You are altering my memories?" Kate types now very afraid she wasn't herself.

"Negative. You always retained your memories. However those foreign substances had damaged some of the neuron pathways that allowed you to access your memories. The nanites can only repair the neuron pathways to your memories allowing you access to them again. You may require time to find and use these neuron pathways to access your memories again."

"Nano technology. I've heard about it. I think there is a research group somewhere that has managed to create a few, but nothing like this." Rick points out. "If it means medical nanites like in "Star Trek", they can repair any damage quickly. … say you cut yourself. You would heal at an accelerated rate." Rick was now very interested. He was living a real Sci-fi event. Like a Twilight Zone show.

Rick takes the phone back. "Explain your capabilities."

_Minimal increased movement, speed and strength of the host body – short duration due to injection of natural adrenaline._

_Trap finding – S.T.A.R.S. Can spot trip wires, rigged doors, etc. and communicate this through a phone or laptop._

_Limited acrobatic feat of the host body – balance, somersault, cartwheels, advanced acrobatic moves._

_Limited lightning reflexes feat of the host body – reaction is faster 1. Draw gun faster than others 2. Hand reacts to block a strike faster 3. Jump back faster._

_Track feat – S.T.A.R.S. Can follow a trail through any environment, and communicate this through a phone or laptop._

_Poison and virus immunity within seconds of the host body._

_Change brain power of the host from 10% to 12-15% maximum at 1% every two years. Provided that the nanites are not needed elsewhere._

_Re-grow limbs of the host body provided material and time is available._

_Change facial features of the host body, hair color and skin color, however this requires 12 hours to complete, and 12 hours to reverse._

_Repair body damage of the host body incredibly fast, like concussions, brain damage, swelling of the brain, bruises, broken bones, etc.._

_Natural life span of the host is extended. Amount of time is variable._

_Communicate with host via laptop, pad or phone. Typing only. No voice. Due to limited technology on this planet._

_Access satellite system for communications to send messages (satellite phone in essence)._

_Monitor short term memory of host to anticipate needs._

Both Rick and Kate's mouth fall open and hit the floor.

Kate takes the phone back. "Truth?"

"I am incapable of lying to my host."

Rick takes the phone back. "Any phone or just this one?"

"Any using planetary satellite system."

Kate takes the phone back. "Can you communicate using my husband's phone, laptop or other future device?"

"Yes, provide number and/or IP address."

It had not escaped Rick's notice that Kate had referred to him as her husband. It got him to smile and twist the ring on his finger.

Kate gives the phone back to Rick, who promptly types in the information requested.

"Try it." Rick types and his phone soon pings at him.

"Please provide names for better communication."

Rick uses his own phone and types in "Rick Castle."

Kate uses her phone and types in "Kate Castle." "And you are?" Kate didn't notice that this was the first time she had referred to herself to someone else as Kate Castle instead of Beckett.

"You may use 117 or STARS."

Rick uses his phone and shows it to Kate. "Explain your mission."

"I am to retrieve or neutralize one Comte de Rochefort. He is a very skilled assassin who chooses his targets using his own code of ethics. Good or bad does not apparently concern him, rich or poor. Strong is the only apparent requirement. He will do research on this planet and determine who is worthy and then find him and kill him. … Once that has been achieved he will then do research and then select another target. And repeat time after time.

I require your assistance as my new host to retrieve or neutralize him. He is highly skilled and training will be required on your part to succeed."

"I'm only a rookie cop in New York; I don't have the skills to take someone like this." Kate types.

"I am gratified that your are involved with a justice system. I require your assistance. Training will be required."

Kate deflated and then moaned. She already had a job. This was going to interfere with her plans. "Are you responsible for my desire to enter the NYPD?" Kate was scared now. Was she, she? Or was she this thing now?

"Negative. I can only assist, not direct or give orders. I am an asset, not a command and control platform. Think of me as an external computer system that you have access to, to assist you. Just in this case I'm inside you so that i can scan your body for damage and either direct the nanites to repair or build more as required."

"Then what? After your mission is complete" Rick types showing it to Kate.

"You are my host. Without a ship to leave this planet I remain and assist you as you require."

"Help her be a homicide detective?" Rick types showing it to Kate.

"Correct."

"I intend to have children. Is this a problem?" Kate types showing it to Rick.

"Negative. Medical nanites will even guarantee a healthy child at birth. They can even go with the child and guarantee continued health throughout its life."

That had Kate's attention. "Can you do that for Alexis now?" Kate types.

"Explain."

"Alexis is my 3 year old daughter." Kate types. Would this help Alexis in the future?

"Yes, easiest method of transfer would be a blood transfusion. An emergency method would be to cut yourself deeply and have the target drink your blood. It would be slower but it will work."

"We need Lanie." Kate tells Rick. If this was the truth it would help Alexis and Kate loved her so very much.

"What are we going to tell her? …. This?" Rick shakes his phone. It was just so fantastic, what would Lanie say? Or have both of them committed to a mental institute?

"She can drink it. …. I need a sharp knife and a glass." Kate started looking around.

Rick however grabbed her. "Kate?" Rick knew what she was thinking, it was obvious.

"Please Rick, I love her too much not to do this. This is my one chance to help her while she isn't hurt or sick. … Please!?" Kate begs him. Kate had almost lost her 3 times now. If she could prevent a 4th, Kate was taking it!

"Can this be done now when the subject isn't hurt or sick?" Rick types.

"Yes."

"Please Rick!" Kate didn't want to lose Alexis. "You need to do the same." Kate wasn't losing him either.

"You believe all this?" Rick questions her.

"Prove this will work." Kate types.

"Cut yourself, just not deeply."

It made sense to both Kate and Rick. Part of the list was fast healing.

Kate grabbed a knife and hesitated. This was going to hurt. Then she ran it down her arm and hummmed in pain gritting her teeth. "MOMMY!" Alexis cried out.

It was only a few short seconds before the cut was repaired. Kate ran her finger over where she had cut herself. It was just as smooth as it was before the cut. Both Rick and Alexis watched it happen. And Kate let Alexis run her finger over the spot.

Kate looked up at Rick. It had worked and she pleaded to him with her eyes.

"It said cut yourself deeply and have her drink." Rick points out. Meaning it was REALLY going to hurt.

"I need a glass, one for both of you." Kate was going to do this. It would only hurt for a moment but help both of them long term.

Rick deflated. "Please Rick, I can't lose either of you. …. I can't." Kate wasn't above pleading for the health or life of the people she loved.

Rick shook his head but pulled out two glasses anyway. "You're going to need to cut a major artery to prevent it from healing too fast." Rick points out. Watching Kate nod her head.

"Turn around pumpkin, don't watch." Kate asked of her.

"Mommy?" Alexis didn't understand. Why did her mommy suddenly need knives?

"Please pumpkin, just turn around and don't watch." Kate spins her around, then takes the knife and places her arm over the glass. "What ever you do pumpkin, don't turn around to look."

"Wait Kate." Rick grabs a cloth and opens the freezer and pulls out some ice cubes. Then places it on Kate's arm. "It'll help deaden the area reducing some of the pain." Rick explains.

Kate waits for a few minutes until her arm feels really cold, and then nods her head at Rick.

Rick pulls out his phone. "We're ready." Rick types.

"You will need to cut deeply."

Rick nods his head at Kate.

Kate wasn't looking forward to this, cold or not it was going to hurt like hell. Kate looked at the backside of Alexis standing right there. She loved her so much. Alexis and Rick had so much of her heart now. She had almost lost Alexis 3 times already. If this worked it might save Alexis before she or anyone else could get to her.

Kate took a deep breath and shoved the knife into her arm and started cutting, and **SCREAMED**. And watched Alexis shrink and shrug her shoulders trying to close her ears so she didn't hear her mother screaming.

Rick immediately moved the glass so very little spilled, and then did it for the other glass. By the time Rick had started catching her blood in the second glass Kate's blood flow had already slowed.

When Kate's blood flow stopped Rick moved one of the glasses to Alexis. "Here pumpkin you need to drink this. It's medicine that will prevent you from getting sick.

You remember when you were sick? This will prevent that." Rick put the glass to her lips and tilted the glass.

Alexis however made a face and stopped drinking. "Yucky." Alexis complained. "I know pumpkin, but you need to take it." Rick tried again.

It took a little time but Alexis had pretty much emptied the glass and was still making a face while smacking her lips. Rick then picked up the other glass, took a deep breath and chugged it down.

Rick also made a face, it was yucky!

Then Rick and Alexis watched Kate's arm heal quickly. "See pumpkin, now you can do that too." Kate watched Alexis run her fingers over where the large deep cut used to be.

"COOL!" Alexis tells them. It got Rick and Kate to grin.

Kate kneeled down to her level and took Alexis in her arms. "Thank you pumpkin, I love you so much. I know it tasted yucky, but it was important." Kate kissed her head. "And you can't ever tell anyone about this pumpkin. It is very, very important. Don't ever talk about this to anyone. It is a very important secret. You understand? No one." Kate looked into the eyes and watched Alexis nod her head.

"Does this mean we're vampires?" Rick asked Kate grinning. Being a vampire might be sooo cool.

Kate looked up at him. "Really Castle?"


	33. Chapter 33

**CH33**

Lunch was delayed while Rick and Kate sat in the kitchen and sent Alexis off to play in the living room. "Do you believe this?" Rick asked her. Rick was all giddy over the prospect of it.

"It worked Castle, you saw it, my arm is perfect." Kate rubbed the area of the deep cut once more. "And it knew things, only things we know."

"We don't keep this just between us and you'll be spending the rest of your life in some super secret CIA lab somewhere. Provided they don't try and cut the thing out of you and kill you in the process." It might be exciting, but Rick had fears.

"We tell no one Castle, not my parents, not Lanie, certainly not my boss." Kate didn't want to get locked up either.

"What do we do when or if Alexis gets hurt? If it's serious enough they're going to take a blood sample and find these, … things inside her." Rick wasn't sure what to do. "And what about immunizations? Some school districts demand them."

Kate pulled out her phone. "What about immunization shots? Do we take them?"

"Yes."

"Guess that answers that part." Rick notes.

"Probably explains why your withdrawals were not as bad as Lanie said they would be." Rick points out.

Kate could remember wanting to smoke a cigarette, but not needing one that badly. It got her to nod her head.

"What are you doing?" Kate asks watching Rick pull out his phone.

"I'm re-reading that list and then deleting all my messages. I don't want anyone getting their hands on my phone and reading all that." Rick told her.

Kate pulled out her phone and deleted all her messages.

"It says you are immune to poisons and virus's. … You can re-grow an arm or leg back. Wait, this one is interesting. Change your facial features, skin and hair color. …. You could go undercover and keep your real identity. … I wonder if that includes fingerprints?" Rick was having fun with this.

"What about the one that said extend life span? Does that mean I'll die at 110 instead of 80?" Kate wonders. "And what does it mean change brain power? What is it doing to me?" Now Kate was scared.

"It's said that we utilize only 10% of our brain. This says it is changing that to something between 12 and 15%. Make you smarter I guess or at least capable of being smarter. You could be the next Einstein. Except you're a girl so I guess that would be Mrs. Einstein or something." It earned Rick a punch in the arm.

"Some of it seems to be automatic while others look like they require direction from it." Kate points out.

"I've got a parasite in me Castle!" Kate moans. "What am I, a cyborg now? … And it said it could read my short term memory. How do I know my thoughts aren't my own? This sucks Castle." Kate was now dejected. The nanites might save Alexis and Castle, but what had it cost her?

"You're still you Kate. It said monitor not create your short term memory." Rick corrects her.

"You heard it, … I mean read it. It altered my memories Castle. It changed me." Kate countered.

"It healed you. It gave you back access to your own memories that the drugs took away. … And it got you off the drugs. Do you want to go back to them?" Rick wanted her to feel like her, not an it.

"No of course not, but how much is really me and not it?" Kate goes back to moaning.

"Ask it." Rick simply states.

"What if it's lying just so it can use me to complete its mission?" Kate counters.

"It said it couldn't lie. … Oooo wait, maybe it's like that Star Trek episode. "Everything Harry tells you is a lie. Now listen to me very carefully Norman. I am lying." Rick was grinning. It however earned him a punch in his arm.

"OWE! … That one actually hurt." Rick complains as he rubs his arm.

"Good, you deserve it. I'm being serious here Castle. It's not a game, this is my life we're talking about, not one of your stupid video games." Kate was mad at him now.

"It was truthful about being able to heal your cuts. It looks like it is the reason your withdrawals were so light and easy, provided Lanie was correct. Which is likely. Give it the benefit of the doubt and say it's telling the truth. Ask it your questions.

I'm going to go write and leave you two alone. Come find me when you decide you want to go somewhere, and we still need lunch." Rick gets up and kisses her head and heads for his little office.

Kate pulls out her phone. "Am I a cyborg now because of you?"

"Negative."

"You said you had access to my short term memories." Kate types.

"It is only to determine if a shot of adrenaline is called for, or if I should scan for booby traps, based on the situation you are in at the time."

"You said you changed my memories." Kate types.

"I did not change your memories. I gave you back access to as many memories as I could. Other memories that were created during your addiction to a foreign substance are also still there.

I cannot give or change your memories. I can give access to memories by repairing your neuron pathways. However even then I do not know what memories I am giving you access to. The nanites can only repair, not create or destroy. Unless it is a foreign substance that should not be in your system.

The ones dealing with your addiction to a foreign substance were more recent and obviously unintended because of the addiction. The others were older and more long term."

"So you don't control me?" Kate wanted to be her not an it.

"Correct."

"But you prevented me from walking." Kate types.

"Those nanites were built solely for that task, and the affect lasted only for a very short time. I assist, I do not control."

"So if I don't want to do this mission of yours, you can't make me do it." Kate types.

"Correct."

"So why should I?" Kate types.

"Rochefort is an assassin. He may decide to kill the meanest, most worse person on your planet. Someone with power and absolutely no morals. And you may think that is not such a bad thing. However killing him may cause instability, thus causing still more deaths that wouldn't have died had he not been killed.

However his next target may be perceived as being the most powerful man on the planet who tries to do nothing but good things. Doing good is a power unto itself.

Rochefort doesn't care if he is a saint or the devil himself, he is an assassin. If he decides someone is worthy of being his next target, he will go after that person and kill him. Killing those that stand in his way or are protecting his target.

Rochefort once killed a man's son just so he could break him. He killed and achieved his goal without killing his target.

He killed a man who was the only one with the knowledge of shutting down a reactor overload. He was the only one on site who could accomplish this task. That was also someone who had power. The 30,000 people that died when it went critical were not his target, but they died just the same.

Say there is a man who has discovered the cure to a disease, that man holds power. In Rochefort's eyes, he is a worthy target to be killed. And if he dies, the cure dies with him, however Rochefort will not care. All those people who will now not be cured will also die.

This is the man my previous host and I were after and I need your help."

"What is this Rochefort likely doing now? It's been a year." Kate types.

"He will have spent the year adapting to this planet. He will need to learn this language or the language of his target, if he has one yet. He will then do research to determine who is a worthy target. Then he will begin the search.

If he is weapon less he will try to obtain a local weapon."

"I'm not a detective yet, I don't have access to anything that could be used to search for him. I'm just an officer." Kate types.

"Then we wait until you are a detective and hope he has not killed very many people during that time. Plus you will need training."

"What type of training, I have had some." Kate types.

"Weapon training and intense hand to hand fighting are the two likely to be needed most. His skill will allow him to kill you in seconds without it."

"I've had weapons training, Castle and I are even expected to go back to Quantico for a refresher course soon. I do have an invitation to hand to hand training, but it's in Quantico too and I don't have that vacation time." Kate types.

"Estimated time to detective?"

"It's been a year roughly, the average would be another 3 or 4 years." Kate types.

"Years?"

"Time it takes for the planet to circle the sun." Kate types.

"Understood. I can assist you in your detective training. You are my host. It is my job to assist you in any way I can."

"Castle says that too, it's part of why I love him so much." Kate types.

"It is good to have support."

"You said you are a computer, that means you need a power source. How long will it last?" Kate types.

"The main power core will last another 200 of your years, however there is a slow recharge system. So long as you are mobile my power core will slowly recharge."

"You said my life span is extended. By how long?" Kate types.

"Unknown, there are too many variables to be precise. It may be 10 years or 100."

"Will this be the same for Alexis and Rick now?" Kate types.

"Correct. I was required to create the first nanites. The nanites will now create replacements as required provided there is enough material for fabrication."

"Material, what material?" Kate types.

"Your body is partially made up of minerals. These minerals are used to replicate the nanites. To guarantee these minerals it is suggested that you take vitamins with minerals once or twice daily."

Rick already had all of them taking vitamin gummy bears twice daily, even Alexis.

Kate put her phone away and got to work making lunch for everyone. Then her phone rang.

"Hi mom." Johanna's picture had come up on the screen.

"I'm making lunch for everyone." Kate explains. "Yes, it's one of your recipes, they're the only ones I know."

"It's great mom, I love both of them so very much." …. "No I don't know what we are doing after lunch." …. "Yes I go back to work tomorrow." … "No not until it warms up a little, it's a little cold for a family bike ride." …. "Alexis loves the museum actually, we go there and have a family safari or hunting adventure." …. "No that guy picking her up hasn't scared her away." …. "That would be nice, I'll ask Castle and let you know." …. "Bye mom."

Kate walked for his office passing by Alexis who was busy playing. "Mom wants to know if we would like to go to the museum after lunch. They're willing to partake in our adventure." Kate tells Rick.

Rick started grinning. Him and Alexis had sucked Kate into playing with them at the museum, now his in-laws were being sucked in. "That would be great. More participants means more exploring." Rick already knew Alexis would be willing to go.

"I'll call them right after lunch and we can meet them there." Kate heads back towards the kitchen. "Want to go to the museum after lunch pumpkin?"

Alexis shot her hands up into the air. "Adventure!" It got Kate to chuckle taking that for a yes.

Kate was almost done putting lunch together when she thought up a question.

"You said S.T.A.R.S. 117. Does that mean there are 117 of you?" Kate typed.

"Negative. There are 219 of me as of one year ago."

"And all 219 of them are just like you and doing what you do." Kate types.

"Correct."

"So there is life out there." Kate types.

"Correct."

"A lot of life?" Kate types.

"Yes."

"Are you freelance or part of an institution?" Kate types.

"We all work when and where required. There is no place we can't go or do not have jurisdiction in."

"Will one of you come looking for you?" Kate types.

"Negative. Though it is possible that one of me will come because they are trying to retrieve something or someone. Just not probable."

They were eating lunch in the kitchen since it was too cold outside to be up on the roof. "When do you plan on going to Quantico for training?" Rick asked her.

"Which one?" Kate asked him. They had a standing invitation for weapons and driving training. Now Kate had one for hand to hand combat training.

"I need to ask for vacation time, I just don't know for how long." Kate tells him.

"You need to call him and find out how long the hand to hand combat class is." Rick tells her.

"What about weapons and driving?" Kate didn't want to neglect those.

"We can delay those for about 6 months I would think. You need to call so I can make reservations for us." Rick tells her.

Kate pulled out her phone since she had already programmed in his number into her phone. "US?" Kate finally caught up.

"Yes, us. We're going with you. Alexis can go into day care while we train." Rick tells her.

"WE?" Kate was still staring at him.

"WE have had weapons training and driving training, why not hand to hand combat? Besided Alexis and I have been going to a fitness center for the last month. Haven't we pumpkin?" Rick looks at her and lifts his hands up and down.

"Daddy gets all stinky." Alexis scrunches her face.

Kate looked at Castle in surprise. That's why Castle's chest and arms had caught her attention lately. She had been running her hands all over his upper body for the last two weeks.

Kate made the call and tentatively arranged to be out there in three weeks. It was actually a 4 week class but they would try and condense it down to one week, but the days would be longer.

Kate now had a time, she just needed to get her vacation time approved. If she told her captain what it was for, he might give her the time more readily.

"I'd ask you to join us at the gym, but you'll be at work." Rick tells her.

"There is a weight, showers and lockers upstairs at the precinct." Kate offers.

"You think they'll let me use it? I'm not with the NYPD." Rick was more than willing to work out with Kate.

"I can ask." Kate found she was looking forward to it. Wondering what Rick looked like in a t-shirt while lifting weights or pounding on a bag. Or better yet, NO SHIRT!


	34. Chapter 34

**CH34**

Captain Montgomery gave her a week off but only 2 months from now. He was already short officers and detectives this month due to other vacation requests. And he had no problem with Castle coming into the precinct and using the weight room upstairs with her. Just make sure Alexis never left that floor and never saw any of the pictures on the murder boards on this floor.

Kate made the phone call to alter hers and Castle's training time for hand to hand combat for 2 months from now.

Kate had gotten off work early today and was already upstairs working out while waiting for Castle and Alexis to come. They had been doing this every other day for the last 2 weeks. And Kate was enjoying the show.

Rick would start out wearing a t-shirt but soon got too sweaty and soon had taken it off. Kate had gotten to watch a shirtless Castle who was already sweaty pounding away on the bag. It was all she could do not to put him down on the floor and jump him right then and there.

However Alexis was there each time with them so Kate had to put up with her wet panties until she could hit the showers before going home where she would attack Rick the second they had closed the bedroom door.

"If I had known I would get this reaction out of you, I would have started working out months ago." Rick had teased her. However instead of having Kate punch him in the arm for it, she had kissed him hard instead.

Kate had already stretched and had done some exercises when she decided to start hitting the bag. If it got her worked up watching Castle pound on it, maybe it would do the same on Castle.

Kate had been pounding on it for a few minutes and could already feel her panties getting wet thinking about Castle walking in and seeing her.

It was a few minutes before Kate noticed the bag wasn't moving around like it should be.

"It helps if you have a partner hold the bag." Kate noticed someone she hadn't seen before was holding the bag for her. "I don't remember seeing you here before. Are you new?" He asked her.

"I've been up here every other day for about a month now." Kate stops hitting the bag and watches him move in and wrap his arms around the bag.

"I've been up here every other day for the last 2 weeks, we must be just missing each other. …. I'm Tom by the way. Tom Demming, I'm down in Robbery. Only been down there for the last 2 weeks."

"I'm Kate." Where was Castle?

"Kate. … Just Kate?" Tom asked her.

"Just Kate." He was relatively handsome, but there was something she didn't like. Just couldn't put her finger on it.

"Well it helps if you have a partner to work with. I can help you if you are interested." Tom left the bag and approached Kate.

"I have a partner, he's just a little late." Kate backed up.

"I don't think too many people use this place. I'm more than willing to help you." Tom closed the distance.

"I don't, …." Kate gets interrupted.

"MOMMY!" And Alexis races across and slams into Kate.

Kate swoops her up and holds her and kisses her head. "Hi pumpkin, where's your father?"

"Daddy stopped to talk with Roy." Alexis was all smiles and then hugged Kate and gave her a kiss.

"This is Alexis, my daughter. Pumpkin this is Tom, he works downstairs somewhere." Kate introduces them.

"Hi." Alexis held Kate a little tighter.

"Interesting hair color. She doesn't really look like you much." Tom suspected a ploy but wasn't biting.

"Perhaps, but she's still mine. … Let's go find your father pumpkin." Kate starts to leave but is held up by Tom.

"You don't need to leave." Tom tells her.

Kate stared at his hand on her then looked at him. "Sorry I'm late, I wanted to invite Roy to, … who's this?" Rick calls out.

Tom turns to look and finds a guy with a gym bag in one hand. He was wearing shorts and a t-shirt. His chest looked a little broad and his arms were heavy looking.

"Rick this is Tom from robbery downstairs somewhere. Tom this is Rick, … my husband." Kate tells him and notices his facial expression change.

"We usually have this place to ourselves, if we're interrupting we can leave." Rick offers, stepping up to Kate who had stepped back out of Tom's hand.

"No, no problem, I was just leaving. The place is all yours. … It's been a pleasure meeting you Kate. Maybe we'll see each other later." Tom tells her and backs off, smiling at Kate.

"Not likely, I don't work robbery." Kate tells him and steps closer to Rick.

Tom frowns but leaves anyway.

"Is there a problem?" Rick turns to look at Kate.

"No, no problem. I think he was trying to hit on me." Kate tells him.

"Now I have a face to work with during combat training." Rick tells her. It only got Kate to smile. She had never seen Castle jealous and possessive before. Now she just needed to see him sweaty and shirtless while pounding on the bag.

Kate was sitting at a desk doing paperwork. In this case it was about the case they had closed yesterday. Kate hadn't really done very much except to listen to them all. Kate had however done a lot of dumpster diving.

Kate had been forced to go get her change of clothes out of her saddle bags and use the showers upstairs. She didn't even really want to put her clothes back in her saddle bags fearing it would make her saddle bags stinky.

Kate stepped out of the shower area and into the weight room area to get to the stairs, when she found Tom in there lifting weights.

Kate decided to walk quickly right past him and ignore his existence. Tom however had spotted her. "KATE, good to see you." He had quickly caught up to her and took a hold of her arm. "Where's the fire?"

"I have work Tom." Kate starred at him and then at his hand holding her arm.

"Have lunch with me, I'm not such a bad guy." Tom tries again.

"I'm having lunch with Lanie as usual and I'm married Tom, or did you forget that part?" Kate yanked her arm free and turned for the stairs again.

Tom however had a hold of her arm again. "It's just lunch Kate." Tom countered.

Kate yanked her arm free again. "Perhaps a charge of sexual assault is something you would listen too. Or should I have my HUSBAND explain it to you." Kate counters starring him down.

Tom lifted his arms in surrender. A sexual assault accusation could ruin his career just as it was starting. "You don't know what you're missing Kate."

Kate turned and headed for the stairs, convinced she knew just was she was missing out on.

"Like your writer husband could lay a finger on me anyway." Tom took a parting shot as Kate went down the stairs.

Kate had made it to her desk and her paperwork and pulled out her phone. _Have lunch with me and Lanie? luv u X_

Kate felt her phone vibrate less than a minute later. _Alexis and I will be there, when and where? Luv u 2 X._

Kate gave him a time and a name. He could look it up to find out its location.

Lanie came up to collect Kate for lunch. "Ready girlfriend?" Lanie had her purse and was starving.

"More than ready." Kate dropped her pen and grabbed her coat.

"What's eating you Kate? You're never this quiet." Lanie asks as the walk.

"It's nothing." Kate didn't want to start trouble. She was just an officer.

"Nothing is nothing, this however is definitely something. So spill or do I have to resort to more painful methods?" Lanie stopped in the middle of the sidewalk.

Kate stopped and walked back after noticing Lanie had stopped walking and looked at the sidewalk. "Tom caught me coming out of the showers. I was cleaning up after a morning of dumpster diving. He tried hitting on me again. He only stopped after I threatened a sexual assault charge."

"**HE WHAT!?"** Lanie screamed at her. "Did you tell Montgomery?"

Kate only shook her head. "Why the hell not Kate? my god!" Lanie was instantly mad at her, but was furious at Tom.

"I don't need trouble Lanie, it might slow down my making detective." And Kate had plans, plus 117 needed her to make detective before this Rochefort killed someone.

"Like having Tom hitting on you for the next 2 or 3 years won't? …. I'm telling Roy even if you won't Kate. It's his precinct, he needs to know what is going on in it. He deserves to know. I'll drag you into his office and we can both tell him right after lunch." Lanie wasn't letting her out of this.

"LANIE!?" Kate really didn't want trouble.

"Don't you LANIE me girlfriend. We're doing this, now let's go before I lose my appetite for food and decide to BBQ Tom instead, … after I shred him into strips." Lanie started walking again forcing Kate to jog a little to catch up.

Kate and Lanie had sat down and ordered drinks. "MOMMY!" And the sound of little feet is heard and Kate is crashed into.

"Hi pumpkin!" Kate instantly melted and her problems with Tom went away.

"Hi Lanie." Rick came up and sat down next to her and across from Kate who still had Alexis in her arms.

"Kate didn't tell me you were coming." Lanie points out.

"I didn't know either until she called just a little while ago." Rick points out.

"Before or after Tom?" Lanie glares at Kate.

"After." Kate whispers, still not wanting to make this bigger than it already was.

"Tom, …. As in Tom at your work. The Tom in the workout room?" Now Rick was glaring at her.

Kate was saved temporarily when the waitress showed up and took their orders.

"Tom?" Rick brought it up again. Forcing Lanie to tell him what little she knew. Having Lanie and Rick staring at her quietly, too quietly, got her to explain to both of them what had happened.

"Oh we're going to Roy's office right after lunch. …. Seriously Kate? Do you want him to continue this?" Rick was mad at her.

"NO, of course not. … I just don't want to cause more trouble." Kate added the later softly.

"Part of being a detective is standing up for yourself Kate. How do you expect to stare down suspects if you can't put Tom in his place. … Good thing we're all going to combat training next month." Rick adds.

Kate hadn't thought about it like that.

"You two are going to combat training?" Lanie hadn't heard of this before now.

"You remember when my ex-wife showed up at our wedding? Kate's hit got the attention of the FBI trainers we had invited and offered to have a different FBI trainer teach her hand to hand combat." Rick tells her.

"And naturally you are going with her." Lanie wasn't surprised at that. You couldn't pry these two apart with big Caterpillars.

"I want to know that she will be safe, I've got her and I don't want to lose her. Besides I can use what I learn in my books." Maybe Derek Storms fights would be more realistic now. He knew someone Kate's size could send someone flying with just one punch.

They were all soon in Captain Montgomery's office going over everything that had happened today and the first time Kate had met Tom.

"I'll take care of it." Roy looked mad, just not at Kate. "And Beckett, next time, speak up for yourself. This is MY precinct and if there is something happening in it, I want to know. Even if it's just a broken chair." Roy really was mad. This bordered on sexual harassment and he intended to remove Demming's ass.

They were all on their way out. "Castle, I'll be there next week." Roy calls after him.

Rick stopped and smiled. "I look forward to taking you for everything you have, even your pants." Rick teased. It got Roy to laugh, which considering the subject they had just been talking about was just what he needed.

Royce had gotten Kate down to the morgue to get her witness an autopsy that Lanie was demonstrating.

Kate had steeled herself for it and was breathing though her mouth and was watching in fascination as Lanie would pull out organ after organ and watch one faint dead away and two more empty their stomachs into a sink or trash can.

They were headed back upstairs in the elevator. "Learn anything kid?" Royce asked her.

"Yes sir, I learned what Jenning's had for lunch today." Kate was grinning.

It got Royce to smile. "Yes we did. That we did."

As soon as the elevator doors opened, they could hear Captain Montgomery yelling. Most of the floor seemed to be empty. The few that were here all had their backs turned to it.

"What's going on in there?" Royce comments taking Kate over to the desk where her paperwork was located.

Inside the office they could both see Roy and Tom from robbery. Tom was looking a little pale as Roy was still yelling at him. The door being closed blocked the words being said, but the tone in Roy's voice told both of them he was way beyond mad.

"You know what that's about?" Royce asked Kate.

"Nope." Kate lied through her teeth hoping Royce wouldn't notice. And since his eyes were on the chewing out Tom was getting, he didn't.

"Go home kid. I'll see you in the morning." Royce tells her with his eyes still on Roy's office.

Kate grabbed her coat and made a hasty retreat. Kate put on her winter riding pants, gloves and rode her bike home. Finding Alexis at the ramp waiting for her like always.

"Hi pumpkin." Kate scooped her up as always and went inside in search of Castle.

Royce watched as Tom left Roy's office, walking quickly. Royce could almost visualize pieces of Tom that were missing and the blood trail he left behind.

"Royce, my office." Roy yelled out.

Great, what had he done now? "Close the door." Roy told him.

Not a good sign as far as Royce was concerned.

Royce had to sit down after a little while since his knees refused to let him keep standing as Roy proceeded to inform him what was happening.

Royce was fuming after he left Roy's office. It was amazing papers and desks didn't just spontaneously combust as he walked by. Roy had ordered him not to talk to or confront Tom, Roy had already taken care of it. And if Tom decided not to learn from it he would handle that too.

Everyone still on the floor did their best to stay as far away from Royce as they could. They liked their skins and wanted to keep them.

Royce however had friends, one of which owed him a big favor. Tom might make it home tonight since it might take his friend an hour or so to find Tom, however Tom's chances of coming into work tomorrow had just reached zero.

New York could be a very dangerous city and Tom was going to find out just how dangerous it really was.

"Did you have fun today pumpkin?" Kate cooed at Alexis, holding her sitting on the sofa while Rick was in the kitchen cooking dinner.

Alexis was nodding her head. "Lunch tomorrow?" Alexis asked.

"You want to have lunch with me and Lanie again tomorrow?" Rick had paid the check, not that Kate minded. She had almost used up all her money buying Rick his wedding ring. Finding out how expensive it was almost had her asking Castle how much her ring had cost. But she didn't, so it left her guessing.

Kate's guess however wasn't even close. Kate was way under the €148,861.00 ($192,410.40) it had cost Rick.

"We'll have to check with your father to see if he can bring you. I just don't know if I'll have the time. My work might keep me away." Kate had to warn her. Still it had been good to see Castle and her at lunch today.

It made her feel better after her run-in with Tom. She had gotten some interest while in the Academy, but none of them had been as 'determined' as Tom had been.

It was still a month till their trip to Quantico for their training. Kate liked that Castle was going to take it with her. Maybe they could add it to their exercises upstairs at work. It had a mat.

Kate knew Castle had already made reservations at a nearby hotel, just like last time. They had also made arrangements for Alexis to be in their daycare area while they were there.


	35. Chapter 35

**CH35**

Jim and Johanna were over on the boat the day before Rick, Kate and Alexis were leaving for Quantico tomorrow. They were all sitting at the dining room table.

"We have a preliminary court date with Black Pawn in 3 months. This is where the judge will determine if we have a case to go forward with. Black Pawn is itching to settle out of court. They still think that simply firing Gina after the fact is enough. I've told them to go to, …." Jim stops himself since Alexis is with them.

"They have my, …. our terms. They can either accept them or take their chances in court." Jim was still beyond mad. Gina had intentionally tried to screw up his daughter's wedding, and after talking with Katie and a little with Rick, it was because she had plans of her own for Rick.

"This Meredith at first had done nothing. It was only after she flew back to L.A. that she tried something. A lawyer who I can't find anymore or get in touch with sent a letter that Meredith was suing Katie for striking her. She also filled out paperwork to gain sole custody of, …. a child." Johanna stopped herself.

They had all talked about not giving Alexis a reason to think Kate wasn't her mother.

"Since that time there has been no follow up. The custody papers never made it to the court for some reason. They were only sent to us, so that di, …. ended on it's own." Johanna caught herself.

"Her lawsuit against Katie has however made it to the court. I've made several motions to have it dismissed. One of which is her lack of legal representation. It's just a formality at the moment, but I don't think we have anything to worry about.

I also have done some digging. Records that we have obtained show that as part of your divorce settlement, she gained access and control of a home in Bel-Air, along with $400,000.

According to public real estate records she sold that home just over a year ago for $2.6 million." Johanna pauses.

"That was less than what I bought it for." Rick points out.

"Yes I know, the last time it was evaluated it was worth $3.8 million, which means she sold it for a loss of just over $1 million." Johanna points out.

"Why?" Kate didn't understand, that was just stupid.

"The first reason I can think of is that she needed the money for something and wanted the money bad enough to sell it at a loss. … But there's more.

Since her lawsuit made it to the courts that left her open to having a number of subpoena's issued on my part. One of them gained me access to her bank accounts. It seems she's broke." Johanna let that sink in.

"What!? … How?" Rick didn't understand. Even he with Alexis to care for could have lived easily off of that kind of money. He wouldn't be living where he was now, but there were places in the country where the $400,000 alone would have bought a mansion, if you were stupid enough to spend that much.

"Her bank account records indicate the vast majority of her withdrawals were all in cash. Whatever it is, she spent cash on it." Johanna tells them.

"So what's her association with Gina?" Kate asks her mother.

"I think I can answer that one. I had the phone records of Black Pawn pulled, seems she made and accepted one phone call in her office during business hours from a cell phone that no longer works. However it had a California area code." Jim explains.

"Let me guess, Meredith." Kate states.

"The very one, however it was only those 2 calls and the number was discontinued due to Meredith not paying her bills." Jim points out.

"What the H, …. is she spending all this money on?" Rick had to catch himself too. Discussing this topic was pissing everyone off and they had to watch what they all said with Alexis sitting with them, who thankfully was being silent during all of this.

Johanna's phone chose this moment to ping at her. Johanna read the text message from her staff at her office.

"I think I have an answer for that. Seems she has been taking small commuter flights to some small town in Mexico almost monthly for a little over a year. This town is the new home of Bandit Films. Since they are in another country getting records from them is likely going to be difficult." Johanna tells them.

"She's opening a film company in Mexico?" Rick speculates.

"I might be able to find out who the major executives are, but getting their financial's isn't going to happen." Johanna points out.

"Has she left the country?" Kate asks. That got Johanna to pull her phone back out and make a call to find out.

"She purchased a ticket on the same commuter flight and flew out to that town yesterday." Johanna tells them after hanging up.

"Did Meredith come out here on her dime or did Gina pay all the expenses?" Jim asks. That got Johanna to pull out her phone again.

"Nothing in her financial's to indicate that she purchased or even chartered a flight out here." Johanna tells them.

"I'll find out." Jim made a note. If Gina footed the bill, he could use it to help implicate her.

"What do we do about Gina?" Kate asked them. It sounded like Gina was the leader of having her wedding disrupted if not stopped.

"Suing her places it on us to prove she was behind all of it, that she planned it. Since Meredith has run away to Mexico we can't get to her. We only have the two phone calls from her office during working hours at Black Pawn and her previous actions." Jim points out.

"She's after my husband dad." Kate would share with Alexis, but not another woman.

"We could serve her with papers providing her with a list of items she has to meet or we do sue her." Jim offers.

"Scare her without actually doing anything to her." Rick thinks he understands.

However the look on Kate's face showed she didn't think that was near enough.

"We could instruct her to never have contact with Rick, you, Alexis and any member of his present or future immediate family. … Maybe something similar to a restraining order. She has to keep her distance from everyone no matter the circumstances." Jim offers.

"How about not even live in the same state?" Kate growls out.

"Maybe New York City?" Jim offers a compromise.

Kate didn't like it. "How about an apology? A public one, because if she comes anywhere near Castle, I swear I'll shoot her." Kate's voice had pure venom in it.

Jim started making a list.

A public written apology for her actions involving the disruption of the wedding of Rick Castle and Katherine Beckett.

Never having contact with Rick, Kate,Alexis or any present or future family member for the remainder of her life for any reason.

She is required to maintain her physical distance from the above list of 100 yards.

"Why written dad, I want it on TV." Kate wanted her to suffer.

"Because if it is written we can use it against her should she decide at any time to violate anything we request of her." Jim explains. Getting Kate to mouth Ooooo. "It will implicate her involvement in writing."

"What about the biker guy?" Rick asked.

"Oh yeah, him." Johanna started seething, she hated that man with a passion. She had already set up things so that if he ever did get out of prison, Johanna was going to make him pay. Johanna had met lots of people, some of them not so nice that owed her a favor. He was going to be visited if or when he got out of prison.

"He only ever had one visitor. She signed using a phoney name however the guards remembered her. Blonde with big." Johanna places her hands just under her breasts. "Teeth." Johanna looks at Alexis to see if it had affected her any.

"Their description of her fit Gina to a tee. Plus I have phone recordings of everything they talked about." Johanna reached across and took one of Kate's hands. "I'm so sorry honey, I heard everything."

Kate took her hand back and leaned away. "Everything?" Her mom knew everything!?

"I'm the only one who listened honey, I haven't told anyone. Not even Jim, and I never will." Johanna was just glad to have her daughter back, and was glad she had found Rick and Alexis. Or more precise BEEN found by Rick and Alexis.

Kate got up and walked away.

"Go with her Rick." Johanna tells him, which got Rick to get up and go after her. "You too sweetie, go find your mother and give her a hug, she really needs one." Johanna gives Alexis a little push.

"That bad?" Jim asks his wife after they are all gone.

"It was like listening to a nightmare. … I can't even imagine living it." Johanna tells him, looking at where her daughter had disappeared too, with new tears starting. It had been hell listening to what this Winger had told Gina.

They had just opened up old wounds, all because of Gina.

It was this moment that Jim decided he would hand deliver their list of demands to Gina and then do something he had told himself he would never, ever do. He was going to hit a woman for the first time in his life.

Jim and Johanna left quietly after talking to Rick. They only saw Katie sitting on the floor in the middle of Alexis's toys holding onto Alexis tightly. Even from this distance they could tell Katie had or still was, crying.

They would be back over after they got home from their trip to Quantico.

"We need to think of a way to make this Gina suffer Jim. What she did, … " Johanna was still seething.

"Leave it to me Jo, I know just what to do." Johanna could tell her husband had something on his mind, she had never seen the look on his face that was on it now.

Rick and Kate were dropping Alexis off at day care so they could head to their first day of hand to hand combat training. "You be a good girl and don't cause any trouble, we'll be back in a few hours. Then we can all go out to dinner." Rick tells Alexis.

They watched Alexis run off and pick her favorite toy from last time, then watched an older child come over and start playing with her.

"I've heard about you two. Weapon's and driving training. Even how far you launched that woman you hit. If that was even half true, I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do." Their trainer was talking to Kate.

"Go get changed and we'll get started." Getting Rick and Kate into the locker room to change into a karate/judo type outfit.

Kate pulled out her phone before leaving the locker room. "Hand to hand combat training is about to start." Kate typed.

"Understood, I will assist."

Kate was blocking what the trainer was sending with a speed he had never seen before. Rick was no where near as fast, but he was learning.

By the end of the third day, they were both limping their way to daycare to pick up Alexis and go to dinner. "I'm going to need a week off to recover from my week off." Kate was moaning.

Rick could only nod his head in agreement. They had both hit the mat sooooo many times.

Alexis came running and crashed into Kate first. "Hi mom!" Then moved over to hug her dad. "Hi daddy." It got both Rick and Kate to moan from yet another impact.

They knew from their last trip out here where to go to eat dinner, so they switched off eating at Sam's Inn Restaurant and Tokyo Japanese Restaurant.

Sam's Inn Restaurant was nothing fancy, it was just a corner restaurant. The tables were simple and the chairs were barely padded metal chairs, tile floor, all the lights were hanging and it had a bar way in back.

It was mostly burgers, wraps, sandwiches and soups, however it was all good at a price that allowed for Kate to pay for it on her salary. Which made her happy.

Tokyo Japanese Restaurant, also had that cheap feel to it, and parking turned out to be a pain given it's location.

Very large selection of Japanese, Okinawan, and Asian dishes. And again it was all at a price that allowed Kate to pay for it on her salary. Plus they had ice cream, which made Alexis happy.

Both places were busy and filled with locals, which was a plus.

Rick and Kate had finished their week long course and had just finished coming out of the locker room when they were intercepted by their trainer.

"Mrs. Castle, I've never seen anyone like you. Your reflexes are amazing and your acrobatics when you are flipped. …." He was truly impressed.

"I know of a countless number of teams with the FBI that would kill to have you on their team." Yes he was trying to recruit her.

"Thanks, but I have plans." Kate had a dream. Besides after they did a background check on her they would likely reject her.

"You change your mind you let me know. And don't you two forget to come back for a re-fresher course. We'll spend a day on going over what you already know, then move on to more advanced items."

Rick and Kate picked up Alexis and went out for dinner one last time then back to their hotel. They had a flight home in the morning.

They had made it home. "Late lunch?" Rick offered.

Kate shook her head. "Nice hot bath, too many of my body parts hurt." Kate countered and went downstairs.

Rick fixed lunch anyway. He fed Alexis and left a little something for Kate in case she changed her mind, then he pulled out his phone and sent a text to Johanna. "We're home. R"

A few moments later he got a reply. "We'll be over for dinner, don't cook. J"

Well that took care of one problem.

Kate was back upstairs eventually and sat with Rick watching Alexis use her imagination while she played. "I watched you, he's right, you are fast." Rick tells her.

"117 is fast not me. I don't know what he's doing, but he/it is the reason." Kate counters.

"Perhaps, but your were the one doing the flipping, not 117." Rick counters.

"You want to add it to our routine at my work?" Kate was curious.

"Absolutely! I told you I would help you if you let me. I'm not stopping now." Rick reminds her of his promise. It earned him a kiss from Kate.

They were already lifting weights and doing exercises together, now they would add hand to hand combat to their training together.

Jim and Johanna announced their presence. "How much did you cook mom?" Kate saw all the containers they brought with them.

"You two have been eating restaurant food for a week now, it's about time you had something good to eat. Not burgers or whatever you three have been eating." Johanna counters.

They had eaten a few burgers, but not that many.

"How did it go" Johanna asked them.

"You should have seen her, Kate was amazing!" Rick was proud of her. "Anything happen while we were gone?" Rick asks.

"A lot actually." Johanna tells them.

"I've got a reply from Black Pawn for you to read." Jim hands over all the paperwork.

"And?" Rick looks at Jim looking for the short version.

"They have given you almost everything you asked for. The only thing is they are offering only half the increase of money you asked for." Jim tells him.

It was enough for Rick but he would read it first and go over it with Jim after he did.

"I also found Gina and hand delivered our list. It was short and sweet. I got her to sign it and she placed the add in the paper yesterday." Jim tells them and hands the signed paperwork to Rick and the paper with the apology to Kate.

After they were done reading. "I decked her after she signed the paperwork." Jim was proud of himself.

Johanna was snickering again while Kate looked stunned. **"DAD!?"**

"What? She had it coming." Jim counters. It had Rick grinning.

"As far as I know Meredith is still in her little town in Mexico. There is a hearing over her lawsuit in 2 weeks. If her or her lawyer, whom I still can't find, don't show up I'll file a motion to dismiss the suit.

Either way I don't think we have anything to worry about." Johanna tells them.


	36. Chapter 36

**CH36**

**It was now 1 year later:**

Kate and Rick were still going upstairs to the weight/workout room at the 12th precinct roughly every 3 days. They had added hand to hand combat to their training regimen.

Rick had found out fast just how good Kate was. Rick was still working out with her and Kate was still drooling over seeing Rick shirtless while doing much of anything, especially working on the bag.

Royce had caught them a few times. He had been standing off to the side watching until he was noticed. "You've got skill kid." Royce had learned not to piss Kate off, she could kick his ass. It was likely possible her husband could to as he watched them train together.

Royce had however taken some time to give Rick a few pointers on the bag and had even held it for him a couple of times.

Neither Rick nor Kate ever saw Tom again, not that Kate even thought about it. She was still never down on the robbery floor.

Neither of them ever heard from Gina or Meredith again. Neither Meredith nor her lawyer had made it to the hearing concerning her suit. Without them the suit was dismissed and Johanna had delivered the good news the very same day.

Kate had done everything she could to be on the homicide floor as much as she could. Royce was still taking her out to sites and teaching her what to look for. Taught her how to follow procedure and work with the ME.

With Lanie's help she was learning a lot. There were a lot of new terms to learn, what procedures are done. Kate had even helped do a few autopsies so she could see what happened to a body.

Rick, Kate and Alexis had gone for a bike ride wearing their leathers when the weather warmed a little but was still cool outside.

Alexis had done what she did last time. Sitting just in front of Kate on her bike with her hands up in the air screaming. Rick had enjoyed himself, Alexis had obviously enjoyed herself. Kate however was grinning wide the entire time.

Kate enjoyed the ride, however Kate had enjoyed the vision in her mind of the three of them riding down the road together. Then they stopped for lunch at a little road side place. Kate again could visualize them walking in all dressed in leathers with Alexis in her leathers between them.

Kate wished she had pictures.

Royce came out of Captain Montgomery's office. "Let's go kid." Forcing Kate to hustle to catch up to him.

"Where are we going?" Kate was curious.

"We've got a missing child with a ransom demand. The FBI handles all kidnappings when there is a ransom, so we will be doing all the leg work for them on this one." Royce informs her as he drives.

"How old?" Kate was pretty sure she didn't want to know.

"He's 5." Royce answers.

Five! Just one year older than Alexis was, who had only had her birthday a few weeks ago.

"Why me?" Kate asked. She would have preferred to have missed this one.

"Captain Montgomery selected you because you're married and have a kid. That built in knowledge may be of help in finding him.

Usually the time window in finding the kid alive on a ransom demand is very tight, so the sooner we figure this out and get him home safe the better." Royce tells her.

There were already two people from their precinct that Kate recognized but didn't know their names. She also saw two other people. One was in a suit, like the ones from the 12th and another in a suit setting up phone monitoring and recording equipment.

Royce talks to the ones from the 12th first, and then escorts Kate over to the one wearing the suit.

Kate found out his name was Will Sorenson and he was with the FBI and so was the guy working the equipment. Kate listened to him explain standard operating procedure in these types of cases.

"What if this wasn't a standard child kidnapping?" Kate had asked him.

Sorenson had assured her it was and to let the FBI handle it.

Kate walked away, fuming. Standard Operating Procedure her ass. Kate then decided to do some snooping of her own.

His room looked like a typical standard room for a 5 year old boy to her. Unlike Alexis's room, there were no stuffed animals or dolls or horsies. The pictures on the wall were not unicorns and there wasn't an ounce of pink to be seen.

It was all toys geared around robots or dinosaurs. There was a picture of a space ship on one wall and a railroad on another. Kate started taking his bed apart since no one else had obviously. It was here Kate found something but didn't know what it was. Reading it didn't help her any either, but it did give her a clue.

Kate pulled out her phone. "Lanie you got a minute? …. Good, can you tell me what, … Dulera is?" Kate was thankful the name was short and easy to pronounce. Some of the one's Lanie had shown her were near impossible to pronounce.

**"**DULERA 100 mcg/5 mcg did not have an asthma flare-up* — compared to 66% taking mometasone furoate 100 mcg, 46% taking formoterol 5 mcg alone. … "It'sprobably an inhaler. Look around, see if there are any pills too. Try the closest bathroom." Lanie tells her.

Kate found a bottle in the bathroom just outside his room. Kate tried to pronounce it but was stumbling all over it.

"That's a corticosteroid, you're kid has severe asthma attacks if he has both of those. He doesn't have that inhaler when he has an attack, he could go into respiratory failure. You need to find him Kate, and fast." Lanie warns her.

"Thanks Lanie." And Kate hangs up and takes her finds to Royce and explains what Lanie told her.

Royce grabs her and takes her over to the others from the 12th. "They knew enough to select him, which likely means they know he has a condition that needs treatment. Since they didn't take these with them, they will need to find them or steal them." Kate points out. "If they want him alive long enough to get their money."

This got Royce and the other 2 to take out their phones. It was at this time the kidnappers made a phone call placing their demands.

"Did they tell you they had his medicine?" Kate holds up what she had found.

"It's not important." Sorenson tells her. "We have their demands, after we make the drop, we catch them and get the kid back and it won't matter."

"Procedure." Kate spit it out like it tasted bad.

"YES procedure. We know what we're doing." Sorenson counters.

Kate hated this guy, he was an idiot. Flat face, flat jaw, flat head with nothing between the ears. What was he, straight out of the academy? Even she wasn't this stupid straight out of the academy.

Kate watched them arrange for the drop and was left behind while it all took place. Kate walks up to Royce. "Anything?"

"They are still at the drop sight waiting." Royce tells her.

**"**What about the medication?" Kate counters.

"Robbery has found a pharmacy were both of those medications were stolen 2 days ago, except according to the pharmacist, the dosages don't match." Royce tells her.

"So if it's too high, they'll give him an overdose and if it's too small it won't do him any good. …. Video?" Kate hoped they at least had a clue.

"Masks and they spray painted the cameras. According to the video they were wearing gloves." Royce tells her.

**"**So no prints. …. Surveillance cameras outside the building?" Kate was grasping straws and she knew it. Only to see Royce shake his head.

"TV store across the street or next door?" Kate was reaching. Something, anything.

That however got Royce to make a face and pull out his phone. Turned out it wasn't a TV store Royce was thinking about. It was a Hotel that had valet parking, packed with surveillance cameras.

The guy monitoring the recording equipment. "We've got a pick up. It's a guy on a bicycle."

Kate and Royce cursed. Those guys could weave through traffic leaving everyone in the dust. Even down sidewalks or alleys too narrow to follow down in cars.

"Doesn't the NYPD have guys on motorcycles, horses or bikes?" Kate suddenly asked.

None were assigned to this case. The FBI was in charge!

It got Kate cursing; she hated this Sorenson even more now.

"The tracking device is on the move." The FBI guy at the monitoring equipment tells them and is soon relaying where it goes to those in the field.

"It's stopped and is stationary." He tells them.

Sorenson and his group move in and find the bag the money was in, along with the tracking device attached to it. The money however was gone.

"YOU LOST HIM?" Kate screams at the FBI tech guy. "How could you lose him?" What were these guys? IDIOTS?

"We need those surveillance tapes." Kate tells Royce. And together they leave and head for the 12th to go over them.

Kate and Royce had split up the different cameras to go over the tapes.

It was taking too long in Kate's mind. They should have been done with this already if the stupid FBI wasn't in charge.

**"**THERE!" Kate suddenly screamed out. Royce was immediately behind Kate looking.

"It has a plate number." Royce points out and pulls out his phone. The NYPD had local police cruisers on the scene in minutes, leaving Kate and Royce along with a now very interested Captain Montgomery waiting for word.

About this time Sorenson and his tech guy along with the parents in tow show up at the precinct.

The units report back. They have called for an ambulance. They have found a boy and he is unresponsive.

Kate was fuming. "You, this is all your fault. You and your damn procedures!" Kate screams at Sorenson.

Sorenson however just ignores Kate. She's just a stupid officer, low man on the totem pole. He was an FBI agent following protocol.

What Kate really wanted to do was launch him into orbit with a broken jaw. It might actually improve his flat face, flat jaw and flat head. But she didn't. And Sorenson walked away secured in his superiority and had done everything he could to find the boy.

Kate went to the women's restroom instead and punched one of the stall doors instead. "OWE, … owe, owe, owe." The door was damaged but so was her hand.

Alexis was dancing at the top of the ramp. Her mother was home from work. "Hi mom." As Alexis launched herself at Kate as soon as she made it to the top of the ramp.

"Hi pumpkin, how's my girl?" Kate hugged her, being careful with her hand. Kate would have picked her up except her hand still hurt.

This was when Alexis noticed her hand was wrapped up. "You're hurt." Alexis touched it softly.

"It's just a bruise, I'm fine." It was also swollen a little.

Rick came walking out of his office just as Kate and Alexis cleared the door to the living room. "Well what got you home early?" Rick walks up intent of giving Kate a kiss. "Wooo, what happened to your hand?" Rick lifts her arm up.

"It's just a bruise, I'll be fine." Kate tells him.

"And swollen by the look of it. Go downstairs and change, I'll get some ice for that hand." Rick shoos her down the stairs.

Kate is soon back in a baggy t-shirt and yoga pants and Rick has her sitting on the sofa while he unwraps her hand. "I'd say that's bruised all right." It was already turning colors.

"Does it hurt?" Alexis touches it softly.

"Not much pumpkin, I took some pain pills at work." Kate strokes her hair with her good hand.

"So what does the other guy look like?" Rick isn't convinced it was a guy. He's actually thinking brick wall, he was just teasing.

"The stall door in the women's restroom now has a hole." Kate states matter of factly. Mildly proud of herself.

"And what did this door do to receive the Kate Castle wrath?" Rick asks innocently.

Kate then explains what her day has been like. "And you let him walk away without decking him? You're getting soft on me." Rick teases. Since Rick was working on one hand and her free hand was busy with Alexis, Rick was spared getting punched in his arm for his comment. So Kate just glared at him.

"So how was the boy?" Rick asked.

"I don't know, I left before we could get updated on his condition." Kate had to confide since she didn't know.

"Sorenson huh, not a name I've heard before. I presume he's assigned to here." Rick asks meaning he wasn't flown in as some specialist.

"As far as I know he's assigned here. Maybe they'll send him to Nome now." Kate was hoping they did. Will was a first class jerk.

"There leave that on until dinner and it should keep the swelling down. Hopefully they don't stick you with more paperwork tomorrow." It was going to be difficult for Kate to write with a sore hand all day.

Then Rick kissed her head. "That's my girl. … I'm going to go start dinner; I've got a new recipe I want to try." Rick tells them.

Seeing the look on Alexis's face. "Not to worry, if we don't like it we can order pizza."

Kate was smiling as Rick left. He wasn't mad at her for not decking Sorenson when she had the chance. "Come on pumpkin, I'll play with you until dinner, so long as I only need one hand." Kate's other hand was about the size of a catcher's mitt now, with the bag of ice all wrapped up around her hand.

It turned out to be Spanish Cottage Pie and it was pretty good. No pizza tonight.

"Do you want to go to any of the refresher courses at Quantico this year? I know you don't take much vacation time since you are focused on making detective as soon as possible." Rick asks her.

Being a simple officer meant she was being out in the field long after the event had taken place. She so far had no reason to pull a weapon, drive a car (Royce did all the driving, even if she thought she was better at it) and the only hand to hand she had done was her training with her husband.

She had so far only hit one person and she had it coming for obvious reasons.

"Can we do something else this time?" Kate liked the idea of doing something as a family this time.

"Any preferences? …. Woods, beach, stay in the States, Canada, Mexico?" Rick offers.

"You probably know better than I do. Something a family could go to maybe." Kate offered.

Rick tried to think. Mexico meant Cancun or something similar. Not exactly the place for an almost 4 year old. Just one more month though. Canada could be pretty, but again, good for Alexis?

A beach meant he could get Kate into a bikini! Just that Alexis was prone to sunburns. That left woods. Someplace fun for them but entertaining enough for Alexis.

Walt Disney World came to mind, but was she tall enough to go on some of the rides?

Then Rick had an idea. "Wait here I need my laptop." Rick hops up and jogs for his office.

He is soon back. "How about this?"

Yellowstone National Park

It took them half an hour of searching to agree on a location.

Lodge at Jackson Fork Ranch.

World class fly fishing.

Fantastic bird watching.

Horseback riding.

Hiking and Mountain biking.

Wyoming wild flower.

There was also a list of things that the lodge itself would provide.

Daily breakfast, lunch (picnic or shore) and a gourmet three-course dinner

Daily housekeeping

Unlimited use of the jacuzzi and sauna on the decks and patios

After dinner activities like star gazing & s'mores by the fire ring

Room amenities include hair dryers, robes, Ranch Organics bath products, internet and computer access

Complimentary access to our facilities to do your laundry at your convenience

Free internet and computer use

One morning experience of getting up close and personal with the bison herd

One afternoon carriage ride with a pair from our World Champion Percheron team

Bentley Continental GTC for a car rental.


	37. Chapter 37

**CH37**

**It was now 1 year later:**

Kate was 22 and just a few months from 23. Alexis was presently 4 but was going to be 5 in a few weeks. Kate was year 3 into her rookie time while trying to get to being a detective. She had been out on countless cases, but still had no reason to pull her weapon or be involved in any combat.

Still that didn't stop Kate, Rick and Alexis from going to Quantico for more hand to hand combat training. This trip was a little more advanced than their last trip.

They had gone for a family bike ride roughly every month until Kate decided that Alexis was too big to sit in front of her. They hadn't as yet worked out how to solve that problem.

Kate had just put her bike in the storage shed right next to Rick's and was walking up the ramp. "Hi mom!" Alexis was standing there waiting for her, just like she had every day since Kate started working for the NYPD.

"Hi pumpkin!" Kate scooped her up and carried her inside giving her kisses all the way. "Where's your father?"

"Typing." Alexis answers.

That got Kate to head for his office and saw him lost in a zone typing. That told Kate he hadn't started dinner yet, so Kate took Alexis into the kitchen with her to start dinner.

Alexis got everything Kate asked of her, from bowls to spoons to the single egg that she needed. Handing Alexis a bowl to put the fresh egg into. Kate was simply watching over everything when her cell phone rang.

Looking at the caller ID. Rick had gone out and gotten both of them the very first iPhone the day they came out. They were both still playing with it, learning what it could do.

"Hi mom. … Cooking dinner actually. …. No I'm just watching it for the next 30 minutes so you're not interrupting anything. …. Castle is in his office typing away. It's kind of cute to watch him lose himself in whatever it is he is thinking. …. Well if he did I would hope he would tell me so I could help him hide the body." Kate starts laughing since Johanna started.

"Work is fine, I get to go out into the field more now and I get to watch interrogations and help them put together a murder board with a time line of when things happen. …. No a lot less dumpster diving. Alexis doesn't have to go "You're stinky mom". Right pumpkin?" Kate looks down at Alexis who is waiting in the kitchen with her. And watches Alexis shake her head.

"That's sounds great mom, I'll ask Castle during dinner, if I cay pry him out of his office." Kate had found that when Rick was zoned out, he was really zoned.

Buzzzzzzz. "That's my Que mom I gotta go. …. Bye mom." Kate checks her handiwork.

"Go get your father pumpkin, dinner is almost ready." Kate tells her and watches Alexis take off.

Kate has the table ready when Alexis comes back. "He's not listening mom."

Kate was afraid of that and started searching for her emergency weapon of choice. "Here you go pumpkin." Kate hands over the little air horn that Kate had bought about a year ago. This would actually only be its second use.

Alexis grinned as she took the horn and ran off. Kate soon heard the horn sound followed by. **"ALEXIS!" **As Rick yelled at her.

Then Alexis ran back into the kitchen and handed the horn back to Kate who hid it back in its place. "Nice work pumpkin." Kate grinned at Alexis who was grinning back at her.

Rick jogged into the kitchen and took a hold of Alexis and gave her a noogy. "You two are a real riot. … I'm going to get you for that." Rick points at Kate.

"I have no idea what you're talking about. I didn't hear a thing." Kate responds back.

Rick puts his hand up next to his ear. "What'd you say? I can't hear a thing." Rick counters.

Kate grins at him. "Go wash up you two, dinner is ready."

"My mother called, she wanted to know if we could come over for dinner on my next day off." Kate tells him.

"We can do that, just remind me the day before." Rick tells her.

"What are you planning Castle?" Kate didn't understand why he needed a warning.

"It's a surprise." Rick tells her.

"CASTLE!?" Rick knew she hated surprises.

"It's not your surprise Kate, it's Johanna's, so relax." Rick wasn't ruining the surprise.

"CASTLE!?" It wasn't enough for Kate, a surprise was a surprise no matter who it was for. "Don't make me hurt you Castle."

"Oh you think you can take me do you?" Rick challenges.

"With 117 I know I can Castle." Kate counters.

"That's cheating Kate." Rick moans. Kate however glares at him.

"Ok fine, have it your way. I got both of them new iPhones to replace the antiques they are presently using." Rick tells her.

"**REALLY!?"** Kate leaned over and kissed him. "I love you, you know."

"I love you too." Rick kisses her back.

Rick went back to typing while Kate played with Alexis till bedtime, and then gave her a bath before putting her to bed. "I love you pumpkin, even after the baby gets here." Kate kissed her head.

"I get to be a big sister." Alexis was smiling.

"Yes you do and you're going to be the best big sister ever." Rick and Kate had been working on her how much fun it was going to be a big sister. Not that Kate was pregnant yet. At least she didn't think she was. Still they had been working on Alexis for months now in preparation for that day.

"You ready for tomorrow?" Rick asked her while standing behind Kate as she stood in front of the full length mirror again, as he slowly wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm not sure I know how to dance, but I'll do it." Kate tells him.

Rick started tracing his fingers over Kate's naked body. "You remember what you looked like all those years ago?" Rick had a question.

Kate could feel her skin light up everywhere his fingers went. "I try not to. That was a different person."

"I told you even then that I saw what I see now." Rick reminded her.

Kate twisted in place till she was facing him with her hands on his chest. "Thank you for never giving up on me. I have no idea where I'd be without you." Kate gave him a quick kiss.

"You're worth it, you always were. And thank you for staying, I'd be all alone without you, we both would." Rick answers back giving Kate a quick kiss.

Kate shakes her head. "You'd have found someone. You're too nice and generous to not catch the eye of someone." Kate countered.

"I might have caught the eye of someone, but my heart would still have been empty. You're the one that filled it. We would both be lost without you." Rick knew there was only Kate for him and his daughter.

"We still on the day after for training upstairs?" Rick wanted to know if she still wanted to train together.

"Of course, you're my husband. There is no one else I want in my life. Besides, I like what it does for you." Kate was grinning as she moved her hands around his exposed chest.

"And is that the only part of me you like?" Rick lifted his eyebrows.

Kate chuckles. "I like that part of you too." Kate grins and then kisses him while one of her hands wonders down his chest till she has him in her hand.

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Kate moved her wedding ring from off her necklace that she keeps it on while at work, and only at work, and placed it on her finger for the event. Kate created a habit of moving it back and forth between the necklace and her finger.

At work it was on her necklace, everywhere else it was on her finger. It was one of the things she did just after getting home and greeting her husband, after greeting Alexis who always met her at the top of the ramp.

Having the ring on a necklace prevented her from losing it or having it interfere with her work. Like ripping gloves open. It also got it closer to her heart.

Rick was upstairs waiting for the women in his life. Kate finally showed with Alexis right behind her.

Rick had a flower waiting for both of them and clipped it into their hair just above the ear.

"Thanks Castle, that's sweet." Kate gave him a quick kiss.

"It's a Hawaiian tradition. A flower on one side means you are taken while the flower on the other side means you are single and looking. Or just single in Alexis's case." Rick explains.

It had Kate grinning. "Marking your territory Castle?" Kate teases.

"I can give you a giant hickey on your neck if you would prefer." Rick was grinning while arching his eyebrows a couple of times.

"You do and you're sleeping in one of the spare bedrooms." Kate counters.

It was a gala fundraiser for the NYPD. You had to pay just to get in and then there was a silent auction near the end.

Kate had a hold of Alexis's hand after Rick left the car to valet parking and they walked inside.

Kate soon spotted a number of people that she knew from work, along with one other, who had spotted them and was on his way over.

"Glad you could make it." Bob shook Rick's hand and then did the same for Kate. "And you too Alexis."

"Hi." Alexis smiled back. This was way different for her. And while she knew the mayor, this place was a little intimidating.

"I'll catch up with you two later and see you again next week." Bob tells them.

"We'll be there." Rick guarantees.

"Shall we see what they have to drink?" Rick offered.

They had just gotten their drinks with some apple juice for Alexis, since there were a few other children in attendance. Rick and Kate started looking around to see who they could spot.

"You clean up nice officer Castle." Roy and his family came in from the side.

"Thank you sir. Hi Evelyn." Kate greeted his wife.

Alexis was immediately surrounded and the three girls took off. "I'll watch them." Evelyn took off after them.

"These things are always a little boring, but it's for a good cause. … OH damn, I've been spotted. If you'll excuse me. … Oh and my place next week, don't forget." Roy reminds them before leaving.

"Castle and his money will be there sir." Kate answers, watching Roy walk off.

"Why is it everyone wants my money?" Rick moans.

"Don't take it personal Castle, I want you for your money too." Kate teases.

"Dance with me wife?" Rick offers his hand.

The moment Kate had been dreading was now here. Kate took in a long breath and took his hand and let Rick lead her out onto the dance floor.

Kate started out all stiff and proper, however soon found out that Castle wasn't trying to do anything fancy and soon found herself pressed up against him, resting her head against his shoulder.

Kate could hear the music, but didn't see the people and just let herself feel and smell Castle. She soon found that she liked it like this.

Three songs later they went off in search of Alexis where Rick dragged her out onto the dance floor with him after they found her.

It left Kate standing next to Evelyn and her two girls. "I love your dress." Evelyn tells Kate. "You've got every eye in here on you and that dress."

Kate starts to blush, she had spotted some of the looks a few women had given her, but hadn't paid any attention to the ones the men were giving her. "Castle got it for me."

"Rick picked out that dress? … A man picked that dress?" Evelyn knew Rick had good taste, just not in selecting dresses for Kate to wear.

"It took us 3 stores and it was the only one Castle actually had me try on." Kate confided.

"You hang onto that one Kate, any man that can do that is a keeper in my book." Evelyn was happy for Kate and now envious that Roy couldn't do that.

"I intend to." Kate was smiling while watching her husband dance with their daughter, who was standing on his feet to do it.

"So when is the next one? Your first I mean." Evelyn had been curious ever since they came over to her's and Roy's house to play that first time.

"Right after I make detective, I'm hoping. Still a little nervous about that. I've never handled a baby before. I mean Alexis was young, just not that kind of young." Kate was also nervous about what having another child would do to them or for them. Along with a million other things.

"You'll do fine. You're young and healthy. Plus you have Rick, who is obviously good with children." Evelyn comments, as they both watch Rick get Alexis giggling while dancing.

It got Kate smiling wide. Castle was good with Alexis. He was the perfect father and the perfect husband and he had done the first 2 years all alone.

"Did you have fun?" Rick turned to look at Kate while driving home.

"I did actually. I was sure I wouldn't, but it wasn't so bad. Not sure I want to repeat it anytime soon." Kate preferred the intimacy of being home instead.

"Castle, … what are we going to do with $17,000 of contractor time?" Rick had won one of the silent auctions. In this case it was $17,000 worth of contractor labor, not including materials.

"Oh it's not for us, it's for your parents." Rick explains.

"My parents?" How did her parents get involved in this?

"They can use him to update a bathroom, or maybe their kitchen. Take down a wall and make it open concept. Enclose their back patio, put on a new roof. Build a shed out back to put the junk in their garage into so they can put their cars in a garage designed to put cars into instead of junk.

I don't know, something." Rick offered up.

Kate leaned way across and kissed his cheek. "I love you."

Rick took a quick look at Kate. "I love you too." Then put his eyes back on the road.

They were coming up fast on their 3rd anniversary of getting married and Kate was still amazed by him. He never seems to do anything for himself and now he's doing things for her parents.

Kate would like to think that she would have found him and fallen in love with him without having to go through 2 years of hell, but she knew better.

It only made what she had all that more special. Now what would adding a baby to the mix do to them?

Kate was pretty sure she wasn't pregnant yet, but they had agreed she could stop taking the pill in a few months, and since they made love almost nightly and then again in the morning, it was only a matter of time.

117 had said he had repaired her. It was obvious Rick was capable, Kate just needed to trust 117 that all those drugs hadn't done something to her that he couldn't fix.

Kate really wanted that baby, their baby.

Kate settled back into the car seat and stared out the passenger window, lost in her thoughts. Which was easy since Castle was concentrating on the road and Alexis was asleep in the back seat. Playing with Roy and Evelyn's girls plus dancing with her dad had worn her out.

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	38. Chapter 38

**CH38**

Kate woke the next day and found herself spread out all over Castle, which wasn't all that surprising considering what they had done last night after putting Alexis to bed.

Just remembering last night was getting Kate interested in picking up where they left off.

However Kate couldn't decide if it was round 4 or round 5. Though it might be round 6 at least for her anyway.

Kate had finished getting dressed with a smile on her face and made her way upstairs to find Castle in the kitchen along with Alexis.

Alexis was sitting there eating her breakfast of choice. Her new choice was cereal. Problem was she wanted sugary kid's cereal now. Kate was hoping it was just a phase since this stuff was pure crap.

Then suddenly Kate could remember sitting at the kitchen table when she was about 5 and was eating sugar filled Captain Crunch. She could hear her mother tying to get her to eat oatmeal, but Kate was complaining it was yucky.

Then her mom sliced a banana for it one time but it didn't do anything for it, but it did help her Captain Crunch.

"We still on for dinner at your parents house tonight?" Castle asked her.

"I hope so." Kate never knew. If they got a body drop during the day she could end up having to stay late since she was still trying to learn everything.

"Do you still want to do training upstairs the day after?" Rick was interested in the schedule.

"Of course, you're my husband. Who else am I going to train with?" Kate didn't want anyone else.

"Why the sudden interest Castle?" Kate knew him pretty well now, he was up to something.

"I'm trying to plan someone's special day and I need to know how much time I have to plan for it." Rick tries to be evasive but still give Kate a clue.

NOW Kate understood. Alexis's birthday was coming up soon. She was going to be 5 soon. "I've already asked for that day off." Kate tells him.

"Good, that'll make that day even more special." Rick tells her.

Alexis was done with breakfast before Kate was and was waiting on her.

Alexis went with Kate to the top of the ramp. "Bye pumpkin, you be a good girl for your father." Kate bent down to kiss her head.

"Bye mom." Alexis was always here when Kate left and here waiting for her when she got home.

Kate parked her bike and went upstairs. Kate was early so the floor was almost empty. "Castle, my office." Roy called out from his doorway.

Kate went over and entered his office. "Close the door and have a seat officer."

Kate closed the door wondering what this was about. She couldn't remember doing anything wrong. Then she watched Roy pick up a number of books and binders.

"I want you to take these home with you and study them for the next 2 weeks. Then in 2 weeks time you'll be taking the detective examination." Roy tells her.

"Sir?" Did Kate hear right?

"The next time you step through that door I expect to be calling you detective Castle, so pick these things up and go back home and start studying." Roy was working hard at keeping his poker face.

"Yes sir." Kate was still in shock and just sat there.

"Now would be a good time Castle." Roy gives her a little push.

Kate shakes her head. "Yes sir. … Thank you sir." Kate picks up the pile of books.

"Now get out of my office officer." Roy tells her and goes back to his paperwork.

"Yes sir." Kate heads back for the elevator in a haze. Behind her Roy is grinning now that she is gone.

Kate does her best to stuff all the books and binders into her saddle bags and heads for home.

Kate pulls all the books and binders back out again after putting her bike in storage right next to Castle's bike.

"HI MOM!" Alexis was excited that Kate was back so early as she met Kate at the top of the ramp as always.

"Hi pumpkin." Kate bent down to kiss her head. "Here you want to carry one of these for me?" Kate handed her one of the books. Kate wanted her to feel like she was being helpful.

Kate dropped her books on the dining room table and then heard Rick coming up the stairs. "KATE!? … What are you doing back so early?"

"Captain Montgomery gave me a bunch of books to read to get ready for my detective examination. I've got the next 2 weeks off to study." Kate was grinning. Her dream was almost a reality.

"**REALLY!?** …. That's great. I'm sure your parents will be just as happy. Why don't you go downstairs and get changed into something more comfortable and we can get started. You'll have to use what you can find in the bedroom, I only just started laundry."

"WE will get started?" Kate stared at him loving him even more suddenly.

"Of course WE, I promised to help you and I'm going to do just that." Rick tells her.

Kate leans over and kisses him and then flies down the stairs to go change. Rick meanwhile looks over the books to determine what one they should start with.

Kate is soon back to get started, just over 2 weeks from now she was going to be a homicide detective.

Since Rick could read something like 3 times as fast as Kate did, he was already done with one of the books by lunch. "We need a break, and then I can use this book to quiz you."

"You done already Castle?" Kate can't believe it. Just how fast a reader was he?

"I'm a writer, kinda goes with the job description. How about a bike ride? We can stop someplace for lunch." Rick offers.

"What about Alexis, she's too big to sit in front of me anymore." Kate knew they needed to solve this.

"She sits behind you obviously. You're thinner than I am so she should be able to wrap her arms around you easier. You just need to teach her what to do and go slow at first." Rick offers.

Kate thought about it. Her bike, just like Castle's did have a padded sort of seat behind her. Just did she trust Alexis to be behind her and keep her arms wrapped around her? She was never going to wrap her arms around Castle.

"Ok pumpkin, go down and change into your leathers and let's go for a bike ride." Kate tells her watching her smile and jump down off her chair and run downstairs.

They were all soon outside with their bikes out of the storage shed. "Ok pumpkin climb up here and sit behind me." Kate patted the padded seat behind her.

"Now wrap your arms around me and hang on tight." Kate let her try it before she started up her bike.

"Now stay just like that and don't ever let go when we are moving, you understand?" Kate twisted her head to look at her. See Alexis nod her head.

"Now if I lay the bike down and it looks like we are going to crash I want you to let go of me and just tumble, don't fight it. It will hurt a lot less if you do." Kate looks at her to make sure she is listening.

"Ok let's get your helmet on." Kate picks it up off her gas tank and puts it over Alexis's head and straps it tight. "Remember, you hang onto me tight. If you let go I'm going to stop and we'll walk home, and you'll never ride on the bike again. EVER!" Kate threatens her ride.

"Promise me." Kate looks at her, pleading with her eyes.

"Promise mom." Alexis responds. And Kate puts her visor down and puts her own helmet on and fires up her bike listening to Castle do the same.

Kate doesn't pull away until she can feel Alexis's arms around her.

**King's Arms Diner**

500 Forest Ave, Staten Island, NY

The food turned out to be simple but good enough. The look of the place was pure retro.

They got lots of looks as they walked in after parking their bikes with Alexis carrying her own helmet.

The idea that they were a family all dressed up in leathers and riding Harley's had Kate glowing. She tried so hard to see themselves from a distance.

They weren't a biker group, they were a family and since Kate and Castle had talked about having Kate stop using birth control, it was only a matter of time before she was pregnant. Especially since they made love to each other almost daily and sometimes twice daily.

So these bike rides may soon end and Kate was likely going to have to stop riding her bike into work when she got bigger. They had talked about that too. They had even decided which bedroom was going to be turned into the nursery. They just hadn't done any shopping yet.

117 had told Kate he had repaired her, so Kate could only hope that all those drugs she had taken hadn't permanently damaged her ability to have healthy children. And since Castle already had a child she knew it wasn't going to be his fault.

"What are you thinking over there, you look like you're a hundred miles away." Rick asks Kate while they wait for their food.

"Just thinking." Kate tells him.

"About?" Rick wanted to know.

"The baby and if it'll be healthy after all those drugs I took." Kate tells him.

Rick reached across and took her her hand. "Everything will be fine, those nanites have fixed everything." Rick assures her.

"Yeah but what if, …." Rick interrupts her.

"Kate stop. He or she will be perfect. There is nothing to worry about, so just stop." Rick doesn't want her to think like that.

"I just worry about all those drugs Castle, you saw what they did to me." Kate couldn't help it. Had she destroyed her future about having children with one mistake?

"We'll get Lanie to give you a physical when she has time if it'll make you feel better. You trust her don't you?" Rick was trying to take away Kate's fears. And watched Kate nod her head.

Then their food arrived and things went back to normal with the distraction.

"We have one more stop before heading home." Rick informs Kate.

"Where are we going Castle?" Kate hated surprises.

"We're going to stop at a law office. They have some papers you need to sign. I've been distracted so i kinda forgot about them." Rick scrunched his face, hoping Kate wouldn't be mad.

"Papers for what?" Kate didn't understand. Why would he need her to sign anything.

"They're adoption papers, so you can adopt Alexis and legally be her mother." Rick grins wide.

Kate squeals and launches herself into Rick and kisses him for all she's worth, drawing looks from the other patrons in the restaurant. Not that seeing all of them in leathers already hadn't.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Kissing Rick over and over again.

**ALEXIS WAS HER'S!**

The ride was over and Kate was carrying Alexis with one arm and her helmet in her other hand up the ramp to the boat. "Did you have fun pumpkin?"

Alexis was smiling. "It was cool mom."

"You just remember to keep your arms around me and not let go. Unless, ….?" Kate had her own test to give out. Kate had only grabbed a hold of Alexis's arms only once not knowing why she suddenly loosened her grip. Probably got distracted by something.

"We crash." Alexis whispered out.

'"That's right. I know it sounds wrong and you want to hold on tighter, but I need you to let go of me if we do. Just let go and relax, It'll hurt a lot less that way." With Alexis behind her she had to trust that Alexis would hold onto her instead of Kate holding onto her.

"Now go change and then go play, your father and I have some more studying to do. Then we're going over to my parents house tonight for dinner." Kate tells her.

"Gram and gramps?" Alexis asks, liking it when they visit.

"Yes, gram and gramps. Now go change." Kate shoos her off.

"Castle, when did she start calling my parents grams and gramps?" This was the first Kate could remember hearing it.

"Did she? That's a first for me. I didn't teach her to." Rick however suddenly had a theory as to who did teach it to her.

Rick and Kate stopped studying a few hours later and got everyone dressed for the trip to Kate's parents house.

"Hi mom." Kate greeted Johanna at the door. "Katie." Johanna gave Kate a peck on the cheek.

"Hi grams." Alexis spoke up. Alexis got a hug and a kiss from Johanna.

Alexis left them in search of Jim. "You taught her to say grams and gramps didn't you." Rick confronts Johanna.

"I plead the 5th." Johanna responds smiling.

"I knew it! …. Pay up." Rick sticks his hand out to Kate. Kate pulls out a dollar and hands it over.

"You two bet on who taught that to her?" Johanna was a little shocked. "You two are amazing." Johanna shakes her head. Johanna was still thankful that Rick was the one that found Kate.

"You're with me Katie." And Johanna took Kate's hand and took her into the kitchen and found Alexis along the way. Time for more cooking lessons.

Alexis talked a mile a minute about their bike ride for lunch while Johanna and Kate cooked.

"You sure these bike rides are a good idea Katie? I mean after everything you, … " Johanna trails off. It still hurt that her daughter rode off with that biker guy and did what he did to her.

"It's fine mom, honest. This is different, we're a family out for a bike ride. We simply happen to be riding Harley's while wearing leathers. And the leathers are actually a good thing in case we have to lay the bikes down. They will help save our skin from damage. (_Even if they did all have nanites to repair the damage.)_ Plus Alexis knows she is supposed to hold onto me and not let go, otherwise we stop and walk home." To Kate's mind it really was different.

It wasn't about riding in a gang or group; they were riding as a family.

Johanna didn't say anything else on the subject, she just prayed her daughter was right and knew what she was doing. Plus Rick hadn't said anything.

They were all sitting at the dining room table. "We wanted to thank you again for the contractor." Jim brought it up again. They had already thanked Rick for what he had done. Still it got them to thinking about remodeling their home. They hadn't done much of anything to it in a long time.

"I'm glad it helped, plus it was for a good cause." Rick didn't need it and it was the only one of the list that held any interest for him.

"OH that reminds me. Captain Montgomery sent me home for 2 weeks with a bunch of books. He wants me to study for the detective's exam." Kate was beaming.

"That's great honey!" Jim and Johanna said at practically the same time.

"Castle is helping me study. He's already finished reading one of the books and started quizzing me." Kate added. She still couldn't believe he was helping or that he could read that fast.

"You'll make it honey, you always were smart if just a little too stubborn and head strong." Johanna commented.

"She gets it from her mother." Jim added expecting to get punched in his arm. Johanna however just smiled at him, which unnerved him.

"Why did I want to go to Stanford? It's such a long ways from here." Kate still didn't remember even going there.

"You wanted to be a lawyer. The very first female supreme court justice if I remember correctly." Johanna tells her.

"A lawyer? Like you two." Rick was interested now. Watching both of them nod their heads.

"You were back for the Christmas break of your first year when you, …" Johanna trailed off. It was a time that none of them really wanted to remember.

"I still don't remember going there or why I went with him. That had to have been the stupidest thing I've ever done." Kate was grateful that those 2 years were a distant memory, one she didn't remember very well anymore. Was that because of 117 or her own doing? It was a nightmare she really did want to forget. More likely she was consciously trying to forget that time.

117 was going to be a secret only her and Castle ever knew about. It had to stay that way. They didn't even speak about themselves. They might say something when someone else was listening and that could end in disaster. And even when they did it was always as 117. It sounded like a code to them so anyone who overheard them wouldn't ever understand.

Not that she truly trusted him/it. It was just too weird to have something wrapped around her spinal column sending out nanites to repair the damage she had done to her body, and all the other things he/it could do or was doing.

Kate could only hope she was still in charge of her own body and memory, but she worried that she wasn't. Still the nanites did work as indicated and Castle and Alexis now had them too. And her baby, when or if she had one, would have them too.


	39. Chapter 39

**CH39**

There was one big error in the previous chapter that has been pointed out to me. There should have been something BEFORE the dress was described. It's omission was my fault. It was a boo-boo. Thankfully not a Yogi (humor). My apologies.

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Since Kate was off work for 2 weeks neither Rick or Kate went into the 12th Precinct to do any more training. They spent it reading. However Rick had even set up a few encounters for Kate to work off of.

Alexis was laying on the stairs a victim of someone who had entered the boat with the intent of killing everyone on it. Rick had even used his training to combat Kate on their own boat.

After Kate defeated Rick and placed him in custody, they went over every action and compared it to the protocol required.

Rick had even gone out and gotten some fake blood from Lanie, who knows just the novelty shop to get it from and used it to stage a crime scene. Rick had even placed a few booby traps. In this case needles that might contain a disease or virus.

Then went over how to avoid them. Rick had even set up a trip wire on the stairs to try and catch Kate in a trap. Then he had her write up a report over the incident and Rick read it and bled all over it, making changes and asking questions.

**It was now 2 weeks later:**

Kate was dressed in her blues and was standing at the ramp off the boat. This time both Rick and Alexis were there to see her off.

"You'll do fine Kate. We've both read everything Roy sent home with you. I've quizzed you about everything I can think of. We've had practices and even written out after action reports plus your own practical experience over the last 3 years.

I've got dinner reservations already made for us to celebrate a few days from now after we get word. Just remember, I love you and I'm proud of you." Rick kisses her.

"Bye mom." Alexis tells her. Alexis had, had fun playing her part.

"Bye pumpkin, I love you." Kate kisses her head.

They watched Kate pull out her bike, fire it up and head for her new future.

TAKASHI

456 HUDSON STREET, NEW YORK, NY 10011

U.S. Kobe Marbled Chuck-flat Steak (6oz) $35 Foie Gras Stuffed Mini Kobe Burger $24

with Chocolate BBQ Sauce

Rick raised his glass. "To Detective Katherine Castle. May killers quake in their shoes."

Jim, Johanna, Lanie and with a little coaxing even Alexis raised their glasses. "Here, here."

Tomorrow would be Kate's first day as a junior homicide detective for the 12th precinct.

Rick and Kate had made it home and put Alexis to bed.

"My next book comes out next month right after your birthday. Then Thanksgiving, followed by Christmas. When summer is over Alexis will start her first year of kindergarten." Rick works out the time line for events that are coming up.

"Your Derek Storm series has been in the top 10 for weeks if not months. I'm proud of you. My mother thinks it's been your greatest works to date." Kate kisses him.

"Your mother is biased." Rick grins. It got Kate to laugh.

"Do you still want to come in and train?" Kate didn't know what her hours were going to be like now.

"I'll call or text just before we come in. It's been two weeks and I kind of miss it. Plus now that you'll be going in and making arrests, you need to keep up with your training. I'm not losing you to some low life piece of scum." Rick tells her.

Kate grinned. She wanted Rick and Alexis to come in for training to. Kate liked the idea of getting back to normal.

"There is one more thing we need to discuss." Rick tells her. Then sees the look on her face. "117."

Kate sighed, it was time to take on his mission and start the search for this Rochefort. Time to get started. Kate pulls out her cell phone. "I start my first day as a junior grade homicide detective tomorrow." Kate types.

"Excellent! You need to begin the search for Rochefort. He is a very dangerous and has likely already selected his next target." 117 tells her.

"What do I look for?" Kate types. Only 117 knew this person plus he was an alien. How did he think?

"He will learn about his chosen target, and then he will begin the search for him. He will find people that work for his target or support him/her. (Rochefort wasn't sexist)

You need to keep on the lookout for people that have been found tortured with possibly dead people around this person. They would have been killed because they were protecting the person he wants information from.

This person will not be found dead. If he dies he will not be able to tell Rochefort what he wants to know. He will however be severely damaged." 117 tells her. "He is expert at making people suffer to give him information. He has a knack for understanding what he has been told and seeing either the truth or the lies in what he is told.

He does not just kill for the sake of killing. He only kills if they interfere with his determination to kill his target." 117 tells her.

"His target could be anyone?" Kate types.

"His target will be someone he thinks as being worthy of being searched for. Someone who has power. Control over people or a place that is important. Someone who presents a challenge to him to find and eliminate." 117 explains.

"Description?" Kate types.

"Rochefort is relatively tall, about 6'-5". He is thin but not overly so. He takes great pride in the condition of his body, so he will have access to workout equipment and will be using it at least 3 times a day for 4 hours each time.

"He keeps his hair relatively long and it is lush. It is a status symbol for him."

Rick pulls out his phone. "To prove his superiority over other men who are balding." Rick types.

"Correct." The answer is on Kate's phone. "He has also lost an eye in a previous combat. He could have had it replaced easily, however he did not. It is suspected that he didn't replace it because it will allow him to remember how difficult that person was to kill.

"Now he wears an eye patch to cover the missing eye." 117 tells them.

"That would damage his peripheral vision." Kate types.

"Correct. It is a weakness that you may be able to exploit should you find yourself in hand to hand combat with him."

"So he prefers hand to hand combat for his kills?" Kate types.

"Negative. He is an assassin. He will use whatever method he deems appropriate to kill his target."

"Like poison." Kate types.

"Correct. Either in a drink or on his blade or dart. Die fast or die slow, just so long as they die."

"I don't think I like this guy very much." Rick points out. Getting Kate to agree.

"Skin color? Any markings?" Kate types.

"White. He has taken damage on his right thigh and right arm so there will be scarring in those areas. Other markings like tattoos would allow another person to have control over him, so there are none."

"He needs food and a place to stay, and the ability to do his research on who his target is going to be." Rick points out to Kate.

"So robberies or home invasions or thefts from a business might be first on his list." Kate adds, talking to Castle.

"An eye patch is going to make him easy to spot on security cameras." Rick comments. "By the way, how was the test?" Rick was curious.

"It was pretty extensive, but I did feel pretty good about when I finished and left. You were a big help Castle. …. Thanks!" Kate leans over to give him a quick kiss.

"You'll be a lead detective in no time Kate. I have faith." Rick smiles back at her.

Kate was at the top of the ramp saying bye to Alexis again who was always there. "You know what you want to do for Thanksgiving pumpkin?" Kate was kneeled down to her level.

Alexis however shook her head. "Well you think about it. We want it to be fun for you too. You be a good girl for your father." Kate kisses her head and starts down the ramp.

"Bye mom." Alexis waves, getting one back from Kate. And Alexis stays there until she can't see Kate any longer and then goes back inside.

Kate didn't have to dress in blues anymore, now she was in street clothes. Kate had even gone out and bought leathers more like what Castle and Alexis were wearing. They were easier to put on and take off and fit over her clothes better.

Kate carried her leathers upstairs with her and stowed them in the bottom drawer of her desk. HER DESK! Not someone else's or borrowed from someone else. Kate even found her name sitting on the desk already. **Katherine Castle**. It was the only thing of hers that was on her desk. Pictures were not allowed. She was going to have to think of something else.

"CASTLE, my office." Roy called out from his doorway.

"Sir." As Kate entered.

"Congratulations detective Castle." Roy tells her.

"Thank you sir. I had a lot of help studying." Kate was more than grateful for what Rick had done for her.

"Your husband." Roy was guessing.

"Yes sir. I think Castle has memorized every word in every book you sent me home with. He quizzed me about everything. He even set up fake murder scenes for me to practice on." Kate explains.

Roy was suddenly impressed. "Too bad Rick is a writer, we could do with a husband and wife detective team. … Speaking of which, Williams and Brown put in their retirement papers yesterday. They've only got 4 weeks left with us." Roy tells her.

That came as a shock to Kate. There were other homicide detectives on the floor but those two had the most experience.

Roy started tapping on his pile of folders on his desk. "These are their possible replacements. I get to pick two out of this pile and get them in here in 2 weeks so they can get used to the place before Williams and Brown leave us.

"Since you three will be the newest ones here I'm going to team you three up together. Get you started working as a team so you can get used to each other." Roy explains. "Is Rick still coming in for your combat training upstairs?" Roy was curious since he had an idea.

"Yes sir, tonight in fact. Provided we don't get a case that interferes with that plan." Kate explains, hoping Roy doesn't shut them down.

"Good. I'd like it if you had the two new detectives go up there with you once in a while. The more you each know about the others capabilities the better team you'll make." Roy explains.

"Yes sir, I'll see if we can arrange it." It made sense to Kate. Even Castle might like some fresh material to slam into the pads.

"Get to work detective." Roy was dismissing Kate.

"Yes sir." And Kate exited his office and went to her desk.

Rochefort had been working hard at finding Lazarus. He had found some minor drug dealers that knew some people. He hated drug dealers. Drugs like these were only used to lose yourself. Relax and waste your life. He had left the two he had interrogated with two broken legs and multiple broken fingers on both hands. Let's see them deal their drugs like that!

Still it did lead him to a gang that dealt mostly in drugs, so he spent most of his time watching them.

He had followed a few and then moved in and picked them up and took their money and left them with two broken arms.

Rochefort had worked out that you needed money on this planet. The homes he had taken over, one after the other had a little food in them, still he needed to buy most of his food. He had stolen a lot of it, but he wasn't much of a cook, so he needed money.

His first house was empty since he had scouted it and chosen it for this reason. Then the owners came home and he tied them up and locked them away. He continued to use the house, however since they were home they started getting visitors. Those ended up tied up and dropped with the owners.

However after a few months the stink of dead people started to permeate the house, so he started searching for the next house.

He had just taken possession of his third home after having left the second one for the same reason.

Per his code he hadn't killed those people. He had simply allowed them to die a slow death. There was a difference in his mind. After all if they were capable of escaping to live they would have been worthy of being killed.

Then one day after moving into his new home he gained a new lead. After picking up the driver and interrogating him and leaving him with a knife pounded down through each of his feet down into the wood floor, he took the information and watched the pickup location for several weeks.

During those weeks he would move forward until he finally saw them go into a large house.

It had walls and was gated. Plus he saw security cameras. Some were stationary and others would sweep an area.

He spent the next several weeks studying the house and how the security cameras worked. Where they looked and how fast the swept an area, while he worked out how he was going to enter the house.

Finally he found a weakness he could exploit.

Rochefort suited up and carried two of his semi-automatic weapons along with 3 clips for each weapon. In addition he tucked away 5 knives. One hand held and 4 meant for throwing.

He arrived at the house 1 hour early and watched it. Right on schedule a van showed up and out came 8 women, all of which were scantily clad in short shorts and tank tops. There was only a single man with him. Armed with an automatic weapon that was held in his hand, hanging low next to his legs.

Rochefort was not impressed. This guy was obviously not very skilled since he was practically walking in his sleep.

Rochefort counted and then climbed the wall and jumped down and immediately threw a knife into the throat area of the guard in that area. He only watched him for a second while he scanned the area around him, including the cameras.

The guy was still gurgling out blood through the wound and he pulled his knife out while cutting his throat open at the same time, while cleaning the knife on the dead guy's shirt. Then he picked up his weapon and threw it over the wall he just came over.

Moving on he moved to the wall and waited and counted. Then swiftly moved to a window and opened it and climbed through quickly, then re-closed the window.

Inside he found himself in a den or sitting room area. It was empty just like he knew it would be.

Moving to the door he listened and hearing nothing opened it slightly. It was a hallway that went towards an outside wall perpendicular to his wall and off into the distance deeper into the house.

Closing the door behind him he chose to go deeper into the house.

Stopping at the first door he heard some laughter. He pulled out one of his guns that had a silencer on it. Opening the door quickly he stepped in and shot all four men he found inside. The first two took it in the forehead, while the other two took a round in one eye. In each case it blew the back of their head open and sprayed matter all over the room.

Closing the door he moved on. The next number of rooms turned out to be empty.

The hallway ended with a set of stairs going up and down. Rochefort chose down.

As he went down the stairs he started hearing something rattling rhythmically. It sounded like there were a number of them. However there was no talking.

As he stepped to the bottom he found two more men armed with the same weapon as the first guy upstairs. He quickly threw a knife into the throat area of the guy closest to him. As he started gurgling up blood the other guy noticed him and started to bring up his weapon to fire it at Rochefort.

Rochefort however lifted his weapon and shot him just to the left of his right eye. This guy dropped like a stone while the other guy was trying to grab the knife stuck in his throat while he drowned in his own blood.

Rochefort moved into the room and saw a short hallway. There were 4 scantily clad women sitting at chairs on each side putting pieces of cut paper into a machine that counted them. Then pulled them out and bundled them. When done they place it on a stack sitting on the table.

At the far end Rochefort saw a large heavy, iron reinforced door.

Rochefort ignored the unarmed women sitting in the chairs and walked past them towards the door.

None of the women paid any attention to him and just kept doing what they were doing. When Rochefort passed the last woman, he reached out and took one of the stacks from the woman on his left and stuffed them one at a time down the front of his pants.

Reaching the door he studied it and came to the conclusion it wasn't locked or barred on the other side.

There was too much noise on this side to hear anything on the other side of the door so he didn't even try. Rochefort steadied himself and concentrated and quickly lifted his right foot and kicked the door open.

Inside he saw a single white male and a single white woman. The woman quickly pulled out a knife in each hand and moved forward. It took Rochefort no time at all to determine she was skilled with them. At the same time he saw the white male start to pull out a gun.

Rochefort quickly pulled out his hand held knife and allowed the woman to try to cut him with both knives. Rochefort moved his free hand and intercepted each swing and allowed her to cut his hand and arm wide open and quite deep.

His other hand was also moving at this time and he saw his knife enter her open mouth and bury itself into her head.

The guy meanwhile had gotten his gun out and just as Rochefort was yanking his knife out of her mouth, he fired his gun and struck Rochefort in the side of his stomach area. Rochefort didn't even blink and used his knife to cut the gun free of his hand.

Rochefort then used the same hand with the butt of his knife to punch him in the face, followed by a kick to his mid-section. Then another hit to his nose that broke it instantly.

With the guy on the ground Rocherfort picked up the dead woman and tossed her thru the still open door. Then he turned and closed the door.

Several hours later Rochefort left the dead end room. As he stepped out, the women and money were all gone. Behind him he left the guy he found in there sitting in the only chair in the room.

As Rochefort left he found the entire house now empty. There was no longer anyone in the house. Even the dead guys that he had killed on his way in were missing.

Rochefort made his way outside the house the same way he got in. Then climbed the same wall he used to get in. After finding the gun he had thrown over the wall, he picked it up and went home with his information that the guy in the room had provided him with.

He now had his next target to get more information from. He was one step closer to finding this Lazarus. And when he did, he would kill him.


	40. Chapter 40

**CH40**

Kate didn't get a case that day so her first day as a homicide detective was spent doing paperwork. Kate did however talk to Williams and Brown about their retirement.

"We felt it was time. Times were different back when we were starting out. The rules were different. Not better, certainly not that, just different. There are all these new kids like you entering the system. You have energy, determination and all these new rules.

You'll make the city better, take down the people we couldn't, just don't sacrifice your ethics. You'll do fine."

Kate's phone vibrated late in the day. _Ready or are you busy? X R_

Kate smiled, she was looking forward to this. She wanted to spend time with both of them and get things back to normal. _Just more paperwork, meet you upstairs. Luv u X K_

Kate was already stretched out when Rick and Alexis arrived. Kate got a hug that she so needed from Alexis and then a kiss from Rick. "Want to help me warm up pumpkin?" Alexis seemed to like coming up here as much as she and Rick did.

"Yup." And Alexis was soon doing everything Kate was doing.

Rick and Kate took it easy on each other since it had been two weeks since they had done this.

"Nothing but paperwork huh?" Rick commented after they had finished but hadn't entered the showers yet.

"Yeah, same old thing. Nothing changed." Kate was bummed. She was a detective and wanted to get active.

"Don't worry about it. This is New York. You're not careful and you won't even make it home from all the work." Rick knew New York didn't sleep. At least it was going to get colder soon. Homicides went down in the cold weather. Being hot, sweaty and can't sleep during summer usually brought out all the crazies.

Kate kissed him and took Alexis into the showers.

Kate hadn't been sitting at her desk long the next day when Williams walked up. "Let's go Castle, we've got a body." Kate hoped up and grabbed her coat.

Since Williams was senior and knew where they were going, he drove.

There were already 3 police cruisers and one other car. Once inside they were directed down to the basement. Down stairs they found 2 uniforms holding a guy with 3 guys sitting at a gaming table.

There were chips and cards on the table. There were also glasses and a wine bottle. WINE!? With these guys?

"Hi Lanie, what have we got." Kate came up to the table were Lanie was looking each one of the bodies still sitting in their chairs.

"Hey girlfriend, welcome to your first case. And it's a triple, lucky you." Lanie was grinning.

Kate however glared at her. "Keep practicing Kate, one of these days you'll be as good at that as your mother." Lanie was un-phased by the look Kate gave her. That comment did however get Kate to change from glaring to smiling.

"Three males, no apparent cause of death. No gunshot wounds and no knife wounds. There is however evidence of drooling on all of their faces. Whatever it was, it happened fast." Lanie tells her.

"Ok, too young for heart attack. They look healthy enough (not like Castle healthy, but healthy enough)." Kate pulls on gloves. "Why wine? These guys should be drinking beer shouldn't they?"

"Even young wall street guys drink wine now. It impresses the ladies better." Lanie counters.

Kate chuckles, drinking wine didn't impress her. Kate reached for one of the two bottles. "Roberto Voerzio La Serra Barolo 2000." Kate reads the label. It wasn't one she had heard of. Castle would order wine from time to time when they went out to eat, but she didn't remember seeing this label.

Kate pulled out her cell phone and texted it to Castle.

Then Kate lifted it to smell the top of the bottle. It smelled like wine. Kate knew from 117 that she was immune to poisons so she wetted her finger tip and touched it to her tongue. Kate didn't taste anything either.

Then her cell phone binged. _Nice wine, $220 - $250 bottle, luv u X R_

"$250?" Kate said out loud. What were these 4 idiots doing drinking $250 bottle of wine?

"Kate?" Lanie asked.

"It was Castle, he texted back this bottle was $220 to $250." Kate still didn't understand.

"Little high brow for this crowd." Lanie commented.

Then Kate's phone binged again. _You just ingested __Tetrodotoxin or TTX__, it has been neutralized._

Kate almost dropped the bottle, however she set it back on the table, carefully. "Check the bottle for poison Lanie." Knowing Kate couldn't tell Lanie about 117.

Kate turned to look at the lone guy from the table that was talking with Williams. Kate decided to look around and do some searching.

Lanie was done and had told Kate she would see her later back at the 12th. When something caught her eye. It was hidden away in one of those fake tree plants or fake plant in a pot. It was even a little dusty, except in one location.

Inside the fake plant Kate found a lens of some kind that had a wire attached to it. Kate traced the wire to a cabinet and inside she found the wire attached to a recording device. "Williams." Kate called out.

Kate went through what she had found. Popping it open it even had a tape in it. The tape had reached the end and the machine was still on. "Someone recorded the whole thing." Kate points out.

Their live guy was held for questioning and Williams and Kate left the house to CSU to search.

Back in the 12th they plugged the tape into their machine and pressed play. It had video and audio.

_'More wine Finley?'_

_The room was filling with cigar smoke as the four gentlemen sat round in a circle. The dimness from the table lamp caught their smiles against the puffs of smoke as they laughed and talked of memories past. Dinner was a success. The salmon was poached to perfection and each glass of wine had complemented every dish. Evans, the host had prepared for days knowing that tonight would be special. Their wives had gone away to the Swiss hills, leaving him and his friends a chance to bond over some fine cuisine. His butler Anton had gone to the trouble of getting the finest food for the occasion. He knew his employer was a man who thrived on image so anything less than the best was unacceptable. Everything had to be perfect._

_'Anton, could you fetch the Chianti?' Evans called._

_Nicholls threw back his last gulp and wiped his lips with a napkin. 'So Evans, that was a mighty fine dinner.'_

_Anton crept in with the bottle of wine moving round each chair and pouring half a glass for everyone._

_'Thank you, I think the courses worked well!'_

_Collins laughed as he picked up his glass 'I think it worked superbly sir! Probably the best salmon I've ever had.'_

_Evans smiled to himself before looking at his final guest. Finley, the youngest had yet to speak on behalf of the meal. As they dived into the three courses, he hadn't said a word regarding the food or even the wine. He ate quietly and kept to himself with nothing more than a nod or gentle gesture at what was being discussed._

_'Finely, don't be rude, Evans did a good job didn't he?' Nicholls prompted._

_He looked up from his lap 'Oh yes, it was most delicious Evans. Thank you!' he returned his eyes to the floor._

_Collins looked in confusion at his manner. 'Everything alright Finely?'_

_'Yes, you seem distant tonight?' Nicholls added._

_He looked around without making eye contact and fidgeted in his chair. 'I did something bad fellows. Something really bad!'_

_Evans laughed 'Ha! Nothing can be that bad Finely. I'm sure there are people out there who have done worse.'_

_'Of course! I know people who are definitely going to hell. I for one have done many bad things.' Nicholls threw back his wine and waved for Anton._

_'Me too! I wouldn't like to sit in confession, I'll tell you now!' Collins added._

_'Is that right Collins?' Nicholls laughed. 'Care to share any naughty stories?'_

_He looked up from the rim of his glass as he chuckled. 'I will if you will.'_

_Evans shifted uncomfortably. He didn't like where this conversation was leading and felt his evening was slipping away._

_'I have an idea.' Nicholls laughed as he lit another fat cigar._

_'I don't like where this is going.' Evans firmly stated._

_'No, No you'll like this, it'll relax Finely! We've all done bad stuff right? Well who better to confess to than your friends?'_

_'Oh no, Nicholls is getting excited!' Collins laughed._

_Finely began to look worried 'I don't want to confess anything. You will judge me, I don't want that.' He reached for his wine and sipped it gingerly with a slight tremor in his lip._

_'Well why don't we make some rules?' Nicholls replied._

_Evans breathed deep and rolled his eyes. Nicholls was by far his least favorite in the group. Everything had to be a game or a ploy to get the worst out of everyone. He seemed to enjoy a situation when it was tense or in danger or getting awkward. Evans would have left Finely alone in the hope that the evening would remain calm. Unfortunately, Nicholls was hot to find answers and wouldn't stop until everyone was well and truly exposed._

_'Ok what rules?'_

_He necked back another glass and laughed. 'Ok, we go round in a circle and confess the worst thing we've ever done no matter how bad it may be. The rest of us cannot judge in any way shape or form. No comments, no abuse, no nothing. Just silence, you got it? But you have to explain in full detail, everything that happened.'_

_There was an aura of unease as everyone contemplated the idea._

_'I don't know Nicholls. This seems slightly uncalled for.' Evans promptly stated._

_'Think of it as a chance for redemption. I know I would feel better after confessing to a few things and I'm sure you all would too. We can't live with a burden forever so why not unload it?'_

_Collins laughed as he wiped his mouth and poured another glass. 'As long as there's no judgement, I think I'm game. How about you Evans?'_

_He thought long and hard. He didn't plan this and had no intention to partake yet his guests were important and he needed to remain intact no matter how much it displeased him._

_'Fine, but I'll go last; I'm not for this idea.'_

_'Yes!' Nicholls clapped his hands. 'Now everyone remember the rules, no judging and no comments. Collins you go first, let it all out!' he pulled his chair in and leaned forward. Finely remained where he was._

_Collins took a final puff of his cigar before stubbing it out and waving Anton over to fill his glass. Evans leaned in mimicking Nicholls._

_'Ok, please bear in mind; I was very foolish in my youth.' He laughed. 'When I was Eighteen, my father had brought me a new car for my birthday. Well, as you can imagine I was a bit of a road racer, you've seen me in my cars, I enjoy speed! One morning I was doing almost 70 mph down a country lane by the house. There's very rarely any traffic by us so going fast isn't really an issue. Melissa had warned me not to go fast in fear that I'll crash but the thought of anything happening never crossed my mind. Well . . .' he paused to drink from his glass._

_'A young boy only about 7 was riding his bike on the left side. I failed to mention that the night before I was round for dinner with an esteemed colleague who poured brandy like it was water. In all fairness, I wasn't fit to drive. So when I hit him and ran over his legs, rendering him unconscious, I didn't have the right mind to take him to the hospital. So I drove away in a fit of panic. Luckily I hit him from behind so he never actually saw my car and thus couldn't identify me. Talk about lucky right! I would probably say that's the worst thing I've done. I'm lucky to be here though, I would have got ten years for that!'_

_The room remained silent. Nicholls put a hand over his mouth trying to hide a smile whilst Evans and Finely looked in horror without speaking a word. Collins leant back and basked in the silence without a worry. Anton came in and filled all wine glasses without a comment or even eye contact._

_'Thank you Collins, that must have took some courage.' Nicholls calmly nodded. 'So it's me now yes? Great!' he slugged back his wine and swayed only briefly before getting a cigar cutter from his pocket. Evans looked down at the floor like Finely and fidgeted like a troublesome child._

_'Are you ready for this?' Nicholls laughed. 'Remember when I worked for the law firm a few years ago? Well at the time I had very few clients and not much money to my name. One client who always held me in high respect was a lady called Mrs. Cunningham. Ancient she was, almost 93 and she had wealth up to her elbows. Her house was beautiful, and her bank account was even more attractive. She used to come in and tell me of her wishes when she died. She wanted to leave everything to her relatives who lived in other countries and took me on to sort out her will. Well as you can imagine, she was losing her marbles slightly and had poor eyesight. She trusted me though! Oh yes, she trusted me with her life. She trusted me enough to write her will and read it when I finished. She even took my word for it when I said I had included all her relative's names on the paper. However . . .' he laughed briefly. 'There was only one name on that will! I was made a millionaire overnight and did anyone notice? The family thought she didn't have a will, ha!'_

_Evans shook his head as he continued to look down. Even Collins had sunk his head slightly._

_'Hey hey we said no judgment!' he shouted._

_'We're not judging Nicholls, just calm down.' Evans replied._

_He lit a cigar and gulped his wine as the red stained his lip. 'Right Finely, looks like you're next my old son!'_

_Finely snapped up 'I don't want to play this Nicholls, I want to go home.'_

_'Ha!' he sprayed wine over the table. 'Home? Don't think you're getting out of it that easy. I bet your story is the best we're going to hear. Spit it out boy!'_

_'No Nicholls, let's leave him alone, he clearly doesn't want to say.' Evan's protested._

_'That's no excuse. I told my story, Collins told his and you two are up next. There's no going back now, we're all in this together.'_

_'I for one would like to hear what Finely has to say.' Collins chirped in._

_'There you see! It's your turn boy! Speak up.'_

_Evans rolled his eyes. 'Oh for God sake, Finely just say what you have to say and let's get this over with. Let Nicholls have his moment and then we can all forget about it and move on.'_

_Finely looked up. 'Are you sure Evans?'_

_He put his hand over. 'Of course I'm sure, nothing you say can possibly be worse than what we've already heard!'_

_Nicholls laughed and grinned at Collins as they brought their chairs forward. Finely took a gulp of wine and began._

_'Last week I went to your house Evans, to see if you wanted to play squash at the club. You were away at the time but I didn't know. I wouldn't have gone if I'd have known.' Evan's eyes dropped. 'Well . . . Elizabeth was in. She was in the garden room sunbathing. I didn't want to hang around but she insisted that I stayed for a glass of lemonade.'_

_'I don't want to hear anymore!' Evans stood up._

_'Sit down!' Nicholls ordered. 'He has to tell the whole story! Remember the rules Evans.'_

_He slowly took his seat again. He seemed intimidated by Nicholls' tone._

_'Continue Finely.' His smile returned._

_Finely momentarily looked over at Evans before snapping back to the floor. 'We had a glass of lemonade and talked. She then suggested we have a brandy. I didn't want to be impolite so I accepted the glass and we drank those as well. She said you were going to be away for the whole day. It was then when she started to advance on me. I didn't want to do "it" Evans but she's such a magnificent woman. She's mature and I had never felt such a connection with anyone. We made love and swore to never speak of it again. But we did. We spoke a lot about it. I think I'm in love with her. Maybe I'm crazy but I think she loves me too. Please don't hate me Evans. Maybe this was the best way to tell you.'_

_Nicholls held back a laugh as Evans remained still not averting his stare._

_'You can't comment Evans. Remember the rules!' Nicholls taunted._

_Evans swallowed deep and stood up from his chair._

_'If you'll excuse me gentleman, I need to use the bathroom.' And he left without another word._

_The room remained silent for several minutes as Nicholls calmed himself down._

_'I for one am so glad we decided to do this. This evening has been exquisite from the start. Don't you agree Finely?'_

_He looked up with tears in his eyes. 'I just want to leave Nicholls.'_

_'Don't be rude boy! You'll anger our host.' He slyly smiled._

_Evans returned and sat down without saying anything._

_'I would like to make a toast. Anton, bring us something special!' Nicholls yelled._

_He came in and filled the wine glasses to the top._

_'To close friends . . . and honesty! Pick up your glasses . . . Now! Collins and Finely timidly picked up their glasses and drank in unison with Nicholls. 'You not joining us Evans?' he calmly enquired._

_He looked up from the floor and sighed. 'No thank you Nicholls, I'm quite tired. I think I might go to bed. Thank you for a lovely evening. Please let Anton know when you leave.' He made his way to the door._

_'With salmon like that, we'll all be back soon haha!' he sprayed his wine as he laughed uncontrollably._

_Evans was just at the door before being asked a final question._

_'Wait, wait! The games not over, we didn't ask Evans. What's the worst thing __you've__ ever done?'_

_He took out his handkerchief and wiped his brow._

_'I once put _Tetrodotoxin _in a 2000 bottle of Borollo.'_


	41. Chapter 41

**CH41**

I have to admit I'm excited to notice that this story is my most followed story of the one's i have written to date. My thanks to everyone who reads it.

Admittedly i was nervous about how i started Kate out in this story. She didn't intend for what happened to happen. It was thrust upon her and was lost with limited memory of who she was. I trust everyone can see past that time. Going through that has in some ways strengthened Kate. Not having lost her mother allows her to open her heart more easily.

A continuation of "I don't believe in no Ghosts" Is next on my list. **I have a plan!** I'll leave it at that.

I'll try not to disappoint the readers of this story or the next one.

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Kate was walking up the ramp onto the boat and found Alexis waiting for her as usual. "Hi mom!" It wasn't hard to tell Alexis was happy to see her.

"Hi pumpkin." Kate scooped her up and carried her inside. "Have you been a good girl today?" Kate kissed the side of her head.

"Daddy's up to something." Alexis tells her.

"Oh, what has your father been doing?" Kate was curious now. Alexis only shrugged her shoulders.

Kate carried Alexis into the living room in search of Castle. **"SURPRISE!"** Castle yelled out the second she cleared the opening. Then blew on his horn.

Rick was wearing a stupid hat on his head and promptly walked over to Kate and put one on her head, then did the same for Alexis.

Kate was grinning and could see I giant banner hanging that said "HAPPY BIRTHDAY". There were also balloons hanging from the ceiling all over. There was even a cake sitting on the coffee table with plates and forks.

"Happy birthday Kate!" Rick was grinning wide and leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"Thanks Castle." Kate's head was still on a swivel as she looked around. Kate was now officially 23 with a husband who was 34 but acted like a 12 year old from time to time. This happened to be one of those times.

Kate put Alexis down and joined Rick sitting on the sofa who was cutting cake and places slices on plates. Paper birthday plates with plastic forks no less.

Kate took her plate and used her fork to cut off a piece and eat it. This was when her eyes went open wide. "It's delicious Castle!" Kate immediately placed another piece in her mouth.

Smith Island Cake

This gorgeous six-layer cake is light and creamy, with layers of vanilla cake stacked on top of silky chocolate buttercream.

"Oh this is your birthday present." Kate hands over a card.

Kate sets her plate down fully intending on eating the rest of her piece of birthday cake.

Opening it she pulls out a card.

Jeunesse Spa

131 W. 22nd St. NYC 10011

"I wasn't sure what you would want to do, so all you have to do is show up and they'll bill me. Reservations are suggested." Rick tells her.

A Spa treatment! "Thank you Castle!" Kate leaned over and kissed him.

Kate couldn't believe him, what did she do to deserve him? Kate went back to eating her cake while watching them eat theirs too.

"What was so special about a bottle of wine?" Rick was curious. He kind of thought she was going to come home with one.

"It was part of a case today." Kate proceeded to explain the case and what she had found.

"He had recorded the event with the intent of embarrassing them with it later. He never thought they would play the game they did on him or treat him the way they did. He thought they were friends." Kate explains.

"So instead he records his killing them." Rick was shaking his head. "Did they really do those things with his wife?"

However the look on Kate's face told him all he needed to know. "Hell of a first case." Rick comments.

"Yeah, not one I'm likely to forget." Kate agreed.

"How about dinner now that we've had dessert?" Rick offered.

Kate could smell it but didn't know what it was.

Spanish cottage pie

"This is pretty good Castle!" Kate's eyes were open wide.

"Your mom gave it to me. They plan on being over on your next day off work to celebrate your birthday yet again. Your mom was planning on working late today so they couldn't make it." Rick told her.

Kate was wondering why they were celebrating it all alone.

**It was now 1 week later:**

Kate was in the passenger seat with Williams driving again. They were approaching a house. No that was wrong somehow in Kate's mind, they had just entered through a gate to a mansion. Complete with a wall.

Kate got out of the car and looked around. There were a lot more police cruisers here this time. It looked big with lots of rooms, which helped explain the number of cars and uniforms that were all over.

They were directed down a hallway that went downstairs. Passing through a couple of interestingly shaped rooms, they really built some weird spaces in those days, they came upon a door that was open. It was big made of solid wood planks with reinforced iron slats holding it together.

"Hi Lanie." Kate stepped into the room. It was relatively small and there were no other doors. There was no table, just one guy sitting in a chair that Lanie was looking over.

"Hi Kate, got a good one for you this time." Lanie looks the guy over one more time. "White male, no ID, cause of death is going to be a challenge. Time of death is a little easier, I'd say somewhere between 2:00 am and 4:00 am about 4 or 5 days ago. I'll know better after I get him home."

"He looks like he's been through hell." Kate looks him over.

"Pretty close, every finger is broken and by the look of the bruising, I'd say they were broken individually and that was AFTER he had each and every finger nail yanked out.

There isn't a single cut on him anywhere, except for the three toes that have been cut off. The damage was then cauterized using I don't know what to prevent him from bleeding out." Lanie explains.

"Ok, why does his head look, I don't know, …. funny?" Kate was trying to look him squarely in the eyes that were still open.

"Until I X-ray that area I'd say his skull has been crushed in on the sides." Lanie uses her hands to demonstrate crushing something between them.

"Seriously? That would take, I don't know how much strength." Kate couldn't begin to imagine what it took to crush someone's skull.

"I'm betting he was living and conscious when it was done." Lanie gives her 2-cents worth.

"So he was tortured for information and then left, and if he has been here 4 or 5 days he was left alive and then died while sitting here." Kate speculates. "Wonder what was so special about him and what he told him or them."

"You're the detective, I'm just the ME." Lanie tells Kate and motions it was time to move the body and take it home. "I'll let you know when I know more." Lanie leaves with the body.

Kate looks around the basement area. All there was, was the one set of stairs. It reminded Kate of a medieval dungeon with all the stone. Stone walls and stone floors. The electrical looked like an afterthought with all the exposed conduit. All the place needed was iron rings on the wall with chains attached.

Kate watched Williams come down the stairs and met him at the bottom. "Find anything else in this place?"

Williams shakes his head. "The place has been searched, there is nothing here and no one except our friend in there." Williams motions for the room they found the body in.

"This place is old, like really old. The electrical has been added." Kate points out the exposed conduit. "It's also cold down here with no heat that I can see. No floor drains in the floor and these stairs are the only way in or out.

Yet I don't see a single cobweb down here. Not even any dust on the floor." Kate points out.

"The place has been cleaned." Williams speculates.

"We need to get some uniforms to interview all the neighbors that have eyes on this place. Somebody moved out and cleaned up after them. Question is, what did they take out of here?" Kate tells him.

"We need to get CSU in here. Our guy was tortured and he's the only one who left blood behind. Why down here? The place guarantees silence when our guy screams maybe. But if this place has been cleaned, what else was down here?"

Williams goes back upstairs to get the uniforms to fan out and check the neighbors in eye sight of this place.

Kate meanwhile pulls out her phone. "Have found a guy who has been tortured yet possibly left behind alive. It has been 5 days however and he is dead now." Kate types.

"Typical Rochefort. Need to find out who he was and what he knew that would help Rochefort find his target." Kate reads back. "No other bodies found?"

"The place is clean, there is nothing." Kate types.

"If he was important and had valuable information, he would not be alone. Likely heavily guarded, there should be blood or dead bodies. He would kill anyone guarding him that was there to prevent him from interrogating the person you found." Kate gets back.

"How do we know if he found out anything?" Kate types.

"He was left behind alive, not killed. This was done to inform his target someone is after him. It increases the challenge of killing his target. Making his target even more important." Kate gets back.

Kate heads outside to look around the grounds, if she wanted in, how would she do it?

The grounds were shallow, if someone were to climb one of the walls it was only a few steps to reach the house. The house and the windows were old. Kate took a look at one of the windows. It was old and while it was locked, it would be easy to open even for her.

So Rochefort could have gotten in easily. So did he climb the wall or just walk in thru the front gate?

However if 117 was correct this place would have been guarded, and if it was that removed the front gate, unless he killed everyone at it. But that would have raised alarms, wouldn't it?

Kate looked around. "No security cameras. … Or were there?" Kate moved over to a corner of the building. "YOU, find me a ladder." Kate points out one of the uniforms.

It took a little while but Kate finally got her ladder. An extension ladder no less and she let the uniform set it up for her. Climbing up she stopped when she found holes in the wall and some caulking. There was also an exposed conduit but with no wiring inside of it.

"So there was one, but it was cleaned too." Kate talks to herself. Kate climbs back down the ladder and starts following the conduit. "You, you're with me." Kate points out the same uniform that got her a ladder.

Kate chases the conduit till it goes into a wall. "Stand here at this window and don't move." Kate tells him and goes inside through the closest door she can find.

It's like a labyrinth inside so it takes her a little time to find the right room where she can see the uniform office standing outside a window. Kate opens the window. "Thanks, just don't move I may need you." Kate tells him.

Kate finds the conduit as it enters the room and chases it through other rooms till it ends in a room with other empty conduit.

The room was empty and it like all the other places she had been in looked clean, really clean.

Kate went back to where the uniform was waiting. "Go find detective Williams and have him come in here, please." Kate used to be him not long ago, so she was nice to him. Then Kate headed back to the room and looked closer.

It took some time for Williams to find her. "Castle?"

"I found holes outside where something likely a security camera used to be. The conduit next to it, while empty lead me to here, and there are others. This place is too old for electricity so they had to install all this exposed conduit." Kate starts off.

"Yet they took the time to clean this place out including what was in this room and whatever it served." Williams wasn't stupid.

"Right, so what was so important in this place that they needed this kind of security? And who are these people? It takes a lot to put this place together and even more to take it apart on such short notice. It would take trucks to clean this place out. Lots of trucks and lots of manpower." Kate points out.

"The only places that have those kinds of trucks and manpower are moving companies." Williams points out.

"A moving company that only moves criminals?" Kate is confused.

"Or super rich people who don't want any questions asked." Williams adds.

"Ok, so the big guys like United, Mayflower, Atlas and the like are out. This size of a move still needs a fleet of trucks and lots of manpower. You don't just hide a fleet of trucks that size." Kate points out.

"We need security camera footage from anywhere near here. All those trucks need to go somewhere." Williams points out.

"Warehouses, especially ones that are empty, or were empty." Kate is thinking it is full now.

"We're going to need help to search for all these moving companies and search empty warehouses." Williams points out.

"And yours and Browns replacements after you retire don't get here for another week, whoever they are." Kate points out.

"We talk to Montgomery then." They needed him to assign more detectives to this, it he would and if they were available.

They both quickly found out after returning to the precinct that no other detectives were available. It seems New York had chosen this time to become a little more violent. Kate and Williams were on their own.

Kate started making a list of moving companies while Williams started looking for security camera coverage anywhere near the place. All those trucks went somewhere.

Kate was still working on her list when her phone binged. _Have time for training tonight? Luv u X R_

Kate immediately smiled. An evening filled with trying to pin her husband to the mat and watch her daughter try and lift weights properly while she rooted her parents on. Just what the doctor ordered.

_Wouldn't miss it. Meet you upstairs. Lu K_

It was only a moment before she got a reply. _Meet u there. A says luv u mom. X R_

It made Kate's heart flip, she loved both of them so very much.

Kate's list was getting bigger and bigger when she finally stopped and went upstairs finding both of them already there. "MOM!" Alexis ran across and slammed into Kate.

"Hi pumpkin, how's my girl?" Kate picked her up and kissed her. Suddenly feeling much better.

"Fine. You still working?" Alexis wanted Kate to spend some time with her.

"Nope, done for the day. We'll pick up something to eat on the way home after we are done and I can play with you till time for bed." Kate tells her getting a smile out of Alexis.

Kate and Rick were warming up prior to doing anything and Kate was watching Alexis try and do everything they were doing.

Rick and Kate took a break from throwing each other to the mat and Kate was watching Alexis use the lightest weight available and was lifting it in a curl pattern using both her arms, since even this weight required her to use both hands instead of just one.

They had picked up some Chinese food on the way home and were sitting at the dining room table to eat. "Anything happen today?" Rick asked Kate.

"Actually there was." And Kate walked Rick through everything she had learned.

"Want some help? I can use the internet to search warehouses, especially ones that should be empty." Rick offered.

"We can look Castle, you don't need to get involved." Kate didn't think it was necessary.

"Kate, you're my wife who has 117, I'm already involved. And the faster you find this guy the faster this is over with. We don't know who he is after. If he is a bad guy, good riddance I suppose, but if he is a good guy who helps people, …." Rick trailed off.

Kate thinks it over. "Fine, but don't go anywhere near those places and don't get caught." Kate warns him.

"Scouts honor, I will not go searching spooky abandoned warehouses, and I won't get caught. I know just how to cover my internet snooping so they can't trace it to me." Rick actually did know how to do just that. Or more precisely Derek Storm did and since Rick did research to get it right, so did he by extension.

Kate wasn't sure about this, but Castle did know almost as much as she did when it came to being a homicide detective. He had practically trained with her and they were short staffed at the moment.

Kate was standing later in the night naked in front of the full length mirror yet again. The difference between now and 3 years ago still amazed her. Is this what Rick had seen then. Kate didn't see how. She was ugly back then and she knew it.

Kate was still standing there when suddenly there were arms wrapping around her and she could see Castle standing behind her smiling at her in the mirror. Kate spun in place to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Please don't do anything stupid Rick. I love you far too much to lose you. Alexis and I need you." Kate pleaded her case.

"I don't intend to. It's just some nice safe internet searching." Rick responded back.

Kate kissed him and used her tongue to stroke his lips asking for entrance. As soon as his lips provided the smallest of cracks she dove right in and searched his mouth. Wanting to taste him.

Kate was later lying in bed lying on top of Rick while Rick was on his back sleeping. As usual Rick had made sure her wants and needs had been satisfied long before he did anything for himself, and Kate was only to happy to help him do just that.

Kate started doodling with a finger on his chest. She was so lucky to have Rick and even Alexis in her life. She still didn't remember going away with the biker that her mother had mentioned. She didn't even remember much about that time.

Kate remembered the drugs and the room she was in that she never left until that one day. Kate only barely remembered what happened in that room. It wasn't until she was on Castle's boat that she remembered much of anything.

That was when she started her life. Her memory of her parents was still spotty. Kate remembered a few things from when she was little. Only a few things from high school but still nothing about being at Stanford or even why she went there.

However she felt she was right where she was supposed to be. Married and with a child doing something that was meaningful in her life.

Losing this would ruin her and she knew it. Deep down she knew losing either of them would destroy her completely. Too much of her heart and who she was, was wrapped up in loving Rick and Alexis.


	42. Chapter 42

**CH42**

**It was one month later now:**

Rick parked out in front of Jim and Johanna's home and helped Kate get Alexis out of the back seat. And Kate held her hand all the way to the front door.

Johanna answered the door and hugged Kate. "Hi honey, come on in." Johanna steps aside to let everyone in. "And how are you Alexis?" Johanna kneels down to give her a quick hug.

"Fine grams." Alexis tells her. Not seeing Johanna's heart flip at being called grams again.

"WOW Johanna, you're remodel looks great!" Rick was impressed. It looked like a whole new house.

"Thanks, it was hell living through the remodel and we didn't have a kitchen for almost three weeks. However the end result has been worth it. We took that $17,000 you gave us and added to it." Johanna was only just now getting used to the remodel.

The wall between the living room and kitchen was gone now. The kitchen had been stripped to the studs and sub floor. Then they had hardwood floors installed in both rooms. It helped make the space look bigger.

The kitchen sink, a stainless steel double sink, was in the same place as the old one, however after that nothing was the same.

The cabinets were two tone. Darker on the bottom and lighter on the top and now there was an island with a breakfast bar. There was rope lighting along the lower edge of the island as well as along the lower edge of the lower cabinets.

There was also under cabinet lighting of the upper cabinets. They also had new appliances all of which were stainless steel. Their entire kitchen was the exact opposite of Rick and Kate's kitchen. Rick and Kate's kitchen was just as modern so to speak, it just looked different.

Rick ran his fingers over the countertop. "What is this?" Rick didn't recognize it.

"It's soap stone." Johanna tells him watching her husband putting together the salad while she was watching over everything else.

"You mean it's made of soap?" Rick teased, knowing better. It earned him a light punch in his arm from Kate getting Johanna to smile watching their interaction.

"You want some help mom?" Kate offered. Kate had even been doing some of the cooking at home. However only on her days off work.

"Not this time honey, we are almost done. Just a few more minutes." Johanna tells her. Jim had even already set the table.

They were all sitting around the table eating their Thanksgiving Day dinner. "I don't even recognize the place anymore." Kate mentions. Even her place right in front of the TV was gone with the wall being gone.

"You've got a new life honey and Rick giving us access to that contractor got us to make changes. We hadn't made any upgrades since you were born. The house was looking old." Johanna explains.

"Well I like it, even if it is different." Kate tells them.

Alexis was sitting on the floor playing with the toys she had that were only here.

"How is work going?" Johanna was curious.

"It's nice. I get to make decisions instead of just doing what I'm told. It's nice to have some freedom. It's also more pressure. Am I making the right decisions? Did I ask the right questions? Did I miss something?" Kate was still a little worried about that.

"Not to burst your bubble honey, but those worries are never going to go away." Johanna tells her.

Kate kinda knew that already, listening to her mother only confirmed it.

"Now for the big question, … when is your next book coming out?" Johanna wanted it, bad.

It got Rick to laughing. "Be right back." And Rick gets up and leaves the house.

"Where's he going?" Johanna asks looking at Kate.

"To the car." Kate answers already knowing what is out there and doing her best not to smile and give it away.

Rick was soon back and let himself back inside. "Here." Rick hands over something book sized that was wrapped.

Johanna is staring at it. It looked like a book. It even felt like a book. Was it? Johanna carefully opened it taking the wrapping paper off. It was upside down and she could see his picture on the back cover.

Flipping it over she found it was the next Derek Storm book. **Storm Fall.**

Johanna opened it to read this inside cover.

Storm is finally feeling like he has his life back: a few open and shut PI cases that lack any danger or intrigue and no recent calls from CIA Agent Clara Strike. But when her lack of contact begins to concern him, Storm begins to search for the woman who he has begun to care for as more than just a colleague. But what Storm unravels quickly turns his world upside down. Is Clara the CIA agent she claimed to be or a rogue spy operating outside of the law? Just when he begins to scratch the surface of the truth, his bank account is drained and a murder of a rival PI is pinned on him. Storm must take on his most challenging client yet: himself. Is this the work of Clara or one of his many enemies? Storm has to comb through his entire career as a PI and as a secret CIA operative: every criminal he put away, every crime he solved, every life he affected, in order to find out who would do this to him. Will he find the culprit pulling the puppet strings or will this be the end of Derrick Storm?

Johanna instantly liked the sound of it. It would likely prove to be one of her favorite author's best books. Then she opened the first page and found Rick had signed it for her.

To Johanna, The Universe is still talking and your daughter is still perfect. I should know – Richard Castle.

Johanna ran her fingers over the words as she started to blink back tears. "This isn't even on shelves yet." Johanna practically squeaks out still trying to recover from the words he wrote.

"Not for another couple of weeks no. Kate read it off of my laptop so she was officially the first to read it. You'll be the second, not counting my publisher who doesn't count." Rick tells her.

"You've already read this!" Johanna looks at her daughter, her eyes open wide.

Kate nods her head. "Castle lets me read all of them right off his laptop right after he sends in the final manuscript to his publisher. I usually stay up all night to read it." Kate was now just as hooked on Rick's books as her mother was.

"So you know everything that is in here." Johanna wasn't sure what to ask or say next. She had the author sitting right in front of her and her daughter who was the first to read it.

"No don't tell me. … I want to read it." Johanna closed the book and held it in her hands. Then watched her daughter zip her lips closed, which got Johanna to smile.

It was hours later and they drove home in the dark with Alexis already asleep in the back seat.

"You sure killing off Derek Storm was a wise choice?" Kate asked him yet again. They had already talked about this more than once.

**About two months ago:**

Kate had been up all night reading Castle's new book right off his laptop. Kate was as hooked on his books just as her mother was. As Kate was reaching the end she was getting more and more hooked into what was happening in the book.

Kate had finally finished and was sitting in his office, in his chair reading and she was stunned. Completely stunned!

Kate had jumped up with the intent of finding her husband. If he was still asleep in bed downstairs she was going to pounce on him. She wanted answers.

However just as she is intent on making it to the stairs and going downstairs she hears a noise in the kitchen. At first she is thinking Alexis has gotten up and is helping herself to a snack.

However Kate dismissed that idea almost immediately. Alexis was far too responsible to be doing that. Kate and even Rick didn't know where she got it from. Neither of them was beyond doing just what she was thinking Alexis was now doing.

In fact Alexis would likely be standing there with her arms crossed staring her parents down for raiding the refrigerator.

Castle however was not above raiding the refrigerator, in fact doing just that would fit him to a tee. Castle the 12 year old probably had half the contents spread out all over the countertop.

Stepping into the kitchen, Kate found she was half right. Her husband was in the kitchen but he was busy mixing batter for blueberry muffins to put in the oven for breakfast.

"**CASTLE!"** Kate yelled at him, making him jump and almost spill his batter all over.

"Don't do that!" Rick tells her.

"You killed off Storm, Castle! You killed him! What were you thinking?" Kate was mad at him. She liked the Derek Storm series. Her mother liked the Derek Storm series. It made it into the top 10 best sellers list each time, so a lot of other people liked it too.

Rick grinned. "Yeah, it was messy too. They're going to need a lot more than 6 million dollars to put him back together." Rick was still smiling.

"**CASTLE!?"** Kate wanted answers. What was he going to write now? He had killed off the only character he had.

Rick gave up on his batter for the moment. "He was getting boring. I knew exactly what he was going to do next. Today, tomorrow and the days after that. He was stale; I mean just how many country or Earth shattering moments could he get himself involved in? And how was he going to fight his way out of them?

That's all he did Kate, fight. That was pretty much the extent of his life." Rick pleaded his case to his wife.

Kate was silent while she thought it over. The action was precisely what she liked about Derek Storm but as she thought about Castle's words about Storm, she could see it. And if she could so could others.

Ok so if Storm was dead, what next. "So what's your plan Castle? What's next?"

"I don't have a plan." Rick had to admit and went back to his batter and started scooping it into the muffin pan.

"**NO PLAN!?** …. What do you mean no plan? What are you going to write Castle?" Kate knew Castle needed to be writing, that's who he was. That's how they had the money they have. While Kate's paychecks had increased, she still came nowhere near the money Castle made.

"Not to worry something will come to mind, it always has. Even before the Storm series." Rick wasn't worried, much.

Kate however didn't believe it for a second; she could only pray he was right.

**Present day 5 days later:**

Kate had a lot of moving companies and she and Williams had checked out half of them so far. None of them actually had the fleet of trucks necessary to pull this off.

It was only 2 more days till Williams retirement and then Kate didn't know what was going to happen.

Rick had spent his last 4 days doing a search on the internet looking for warehouses that fit the need. Like Kate his list was getting bigger and he needed to whittle the list down to size.

"Pumpkin, go grab your coat, we're going for a ride." Rick calls out as he prints off his list.

Rick has Alexis strapped into the back seat and starts plugging in the address that is first on his list.

It turned out to not be quite as big as Rick thought it would be, so he plugged in the address for the next one.

It turned out to be big enough but was still empty and so was everything around it. So Rick plugged in the next one.

This one had a chain link fence with razor wire on top of it. The fence looked old but the razor wire looked new. Rick decided to move around in his car to see a little more. He was forced to drive across an area filled with trash and weeds.

Rick stopped the car next to a dilapidated building that was about ready to fall down of its own accord.

Rick looked at Alexis. "Stay in the car pumpkin." And Rick got out taking his binoculars with him.

Standing next to the broken down building he lifted his binoculars to look since he had no intention of trying to get past the fence since he had Alexis with him.

The sun was still high in the sky but it was after lunch, around 2:00 pm, however Rick didn't think about it any.

Looking out he saw his warehouse along with a small fleet of delivery sized trucks. FREIGHTLINER BUSINESS CLASS M2 106.

None of them had markings, they were all white including the cab. They were all neatly lined up in a row just sitting there. Rick pulled out his phone and scrolled until he got the number he was after and pressed send.

"Kate, I think I may have found your warehouse. There is a small fleet of trucks sitting outside. …. No I haven't gone inside. I promised, so I haven't." Rick gives her the address. Rick lifts his binoculars again. "No I don't see anyone, …. I'm next to a broken down junk of a building on the east side. The car is hidden from view and I'm outside standing next to the building. …. Alexis is in the car. I wasn't going to leave her home all alone." Rick tells her.

"Yes I'm not going anywhere. …. I'm not moving from this spot." Rick tells her and hangs up. And goes back to watching using his binoculars.

Rick still hadn't seen anyone when his phone vibrates in his pocket, smiling at who is calling. "Hi Kate. … No I still haven't seen anyone. It's a warehouse, just how many people should be here? …. No, I haven't moved an inch I swear. Hope you brought a lot of people, it's big." Rick tells her.

Then Kate hears Rick make a humph sound followed soon after by the sound of a larger caliber gun being fired.

Alexis is in the car and can't see her dad or hear Kate screaming over the phone.

Alexis however can soon hear sirens and it sounds to her like there are a lot of them. Looking out her window she can see one come charging across the rubble filled field with lots of weeds and slide to a stop near her.

Then she can see another car right behind that one, except it is partly blue with lights flashing and the siren still on.

Alexis can see her mom get out of the first car along with an elderly man. Alexis sees the man approach her car and try and open the door, but it's locked. Her mother has run from her sight.

Kate falls to the ground next to Rick. **"CASTLE!"** Kate looks him over and sees blood pooling on the ground. **"NO, NO, please don't do this to me Rick!"** Kate immediately begins crying. Kate turns him over and can see the entry would of the shot she heard. **"OH GOD!"**

Kate pulls out her phone. "Rick is dying, he's been shot. Do something." Kate types.

The reply is instant. "He has thousands of nanites, give them a chance, it takes time. Begin CPR."

Kate drops her phone and starts CPR like she had been taught and starts with chest compressions followed by giving him air.

Williams has given up trying to get the door open and starts trying to convince Alexis to unlock the door, however he doesn't see Alexis move. She was safe for the moment so he left her and then found Castle giving someone CPR.

Williams jogs to the car and uses the radio. Using it to tell dispatch that they have an officer down and gives their location. He knew the guy on the ground wasn't an officer but saying it would get help here faster.

"Come on Rick, P-L-E-A-S-E!" Kate is crying while she goes back to doing chest compressions, then down to give him air. Kate keeps it up while crying all the time, not seeing Williams down on his knees next to her, getting ready to take over if she tires.

117 however has given her an adrenaline boost and between that and her fears, Kate isn't remotely tired with no plans on giving up.

"PLEASE RICK!" Kate bends down to give him air, however Rick chooses this moment to cough up blood. **"RICK!?"** Kate looks down at him and can see him open his eyes while still coughing up blood.

Kate bends down to look directly in his eyes and can see Rick look back at her. "Rick!?" Kate whispers into his lips while Kate searches his eyes. Then can see Rick smile at her.

"Ma'am, you need to move." Kate is being softly pushed aside. Kate had been so intent on Rick she never heard the sound of the ambulance or the EMT's arrive.

The EMT's work on stabilizing Rick to be moved. They've got drugs into him and an IV set up with the wound area quickly dressed. Then lifted up onto the gurney and shoved into the ambulance.

Kate was all set to get in behind him when Williams stops her. "He's my husband, I'm going with him." Kate shakes his arm off her.

"And your daughter is in a locked car." And Williams points to the BMW.

**DAMN!** Kate asked where they were taking him and then let Rick leave without her.

Kate walked over to the car and saw Alexis in the back seat for the first time. Kate turned back to her car to get her bag that had her car key inside it.

After using the fob to open the doors Kate climbed inside to get Alexis in her arms. "Where's dad?" Alexis's first question.

"He's hurt a little and they are taking him to the doctor so he can get better, and we're going to go see him." Kate takes Alexis out of the car and carries her over to Williams.

Williams beats Kate to it. "Go after your husband Castle. Units are already inside the warehouse and even more units are on their way. It may take a few days, but CSU will have this place taken apart and everything in it cataloged. Go take care of your family."

"Thanks." Kate was starting to shake as her adrenaline rush started to wear off.

Kate had Alexis in the back seat again and was driving her way to the hospital Rick was being taken to.

Alexis was quiet the entire trip, but then so was Kate. He was alive, she knew that. And that was only thanks to the nanites she had transferred to him and Alexis. If this worked, she owed 117. Her husband would be dead without them.

Kate parked in the big parking lot. She was in a BMW not her cruiser so she couldn't park were ever she wanted to.

Kate with Alexis in her arms asked for Richard Castle and was directed where to wait.

Kate pulled out her phone after sitting with Alexis in the chair next to her.

"Will the hospital find the nanites?" Kate types.

"They are 10−9 meters in size. A typical hospital given your level of technology is unlikely to spot them. Only a medical or technical research location will have the tools necessary to spot them."

"They are likely to question why he is healing so fast." Kate types.

"Unavoidable."


	43. Chapter 43

**CH43**

I looked it up AGAIN on Wiki. A nanite is 10 to the -9 power, meter. I copied and pasted it directly into the story. If the fanfic site changed the look of it, well ... Here it is again. (10−9 meters). Copied and pasted. See, I told you it wasn't my fault!

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It had been an hour and no word from either the hospital or the precinct. Kate pulled out her phone and scrolled to find who she wanted.

"Hi mom, Alexis and I are at the hospital. Rick has been shot and I need you to come and take Alexis home with you. She shouldn't be here. …. He is alive mom, I don't know how bad it is yet. … Thank you." And Kate hangs up, working on keeping the tears at bay since Alexis is with her.

Then Kate scrolls down her list again and presses send. "Hi Martha, I need you to call me back when you get a chance. Rick is hurt and you should know about it. Call me." And Kate hangs up and waits.

Alexis is sitting quietly, maybe too quietly and it has Kate worried.

"**KATIE?"** Johanna comes walking in through the doors on a mission.

Kate is up in a heartbeat and in her mother's arms and only now does she let go and start crying.

Johanna holds her and lets her cry while watching Alexis getting ready to break down and start crying too. Johanna guides a crying Katie over to the chairs and sits her down and then sits down herself between the two of them. One arm holding Katie and one holding Alexis.

Johanna needed to hold it together long enough for Jim to park the car and join her.

Jim comes jogging in through the doors and finds his wife holding onto a crying daughter and a crying granddaughter. Jim moves over and sits next to Katie and takes over holding her so Jo can focus her attention on Alexis.

It took some time before both of them calmed down enough to even begin to think straight.

"We should get Alexis out of here." Johanna tells her husband. Jim pulls out his keys to the car and tries to tell her where he parked.

However Alexis has other plans and puts up a fight, she's not leaving without her mother. "Alexis honey you need to come with me." Johanna tries to convince her.

Alexis however breaks free of Johanna and takes a hold of her mother's legs and refuses to let go. Kate picks her up and puts her in her lap and wraps her arms around her. "It's ok mom, we'll wait here." Kate didn't want to scare her anymore than she already was.

Johanna relents but keeps her arm around the two of them as does Jim from the other side.

It was 3 hours later when a doctor enters. "Family of Castle?"

Kate hops up with Alexis still in her arms. "His wife, daughter and my parents." Kate tells him.

Kate's phone chooses this time to ring and vibrate. Kate hands it to Johanna who answers it.

"Mr. Castle took a bullet to his right lung. There is a fair amount of blood loss. We are working on that. His lung should have collapsed since the bullet was a thru and thru, however when he was brought in it was inflated and it has stayed that way. His blood pressure was extremely low however that has improved greatly.

Frankly I'm at a loss to explain why the damage isn't greater than it is. His ability to recover from being shot is simply amazing. To say I'm impressed would be an understatement.

He's out of surgery and being moved into ICU where we will keep him and watch over him. I can let you go in and see him, family only for now. I'll send a nurse to come get you. As to letting his daughter see him I'll leave to you." And he doctor leaves them.

Johanna hands over the phone to Katie. "It's Martha, I told her everything the doctor told us as he told us."

Kate nods and takes the phone. "Hi Martha. … No he was alive even before he got here. …. He was shot in the chest but the doctor says he's doing fine. … No I haven't seen him yet. He just got out of surgery. …. No he wasn't with me. And when I find out what he was doing I'm going to kill him." Kate was the cop here, not her husband.

Kate listened to what Martha had to say and then hung up the phone. "She's taking the first flight she can find out here." Kate tells them.

"Jim will go get her and allow you to stay here if you want." Johanna offers up her husband knowing he would do it and would have offered if she had let him.

"Thanks mom." Kate was staying, even if Alexis wasn't.

Kate figured Alexis would put up a fuss and fight to go where she went. It was scary for her.

The nurse came out to take both Kate and Alexis back to see Rick. He was plugged in to everything and had an oxygen tube just under his nose. He didn't look very pale, however he was unconscious.

"Daddy?" Alexis tried to reach out to touch him.

"He's just sleeping pumpkin, he's fine." Kate tells her, trying to sound brave.

Kate let Alexis touch her father and see that he was fine and just sleeping, like he does at home. Then back out to her parents. Where Kate hands over Alexis to Johanna. "Take her home, I'm going to stay with Rick."

Alexis however puts up a fight. "Please pumpkin, you need to go with grams. I need to watch your father and grams needs to watch you." Then kisses her head.

After they are gone, Kate heads back for Rick and sits next to his bed. Two hours later she is up and messing with his hair, then leans down close. "You die on me Rick and I'm going to kill you." Kate smiles and kisses his forehead.

"But I need for you to wake up Rick, …. Please wake up babe." As new tears form. "Please!"

It was late and Rick was still asleep. Kate had only left for a bathroom break and to get some coffee from the cafeteria that tasted so bad that she dumped it. "What did they use for a filter? Battery acid?" Kate grabbed a banana to try and kill the taste.

She was still sitting in her chair when Captain Montgomery entered the room. "How is he?"

Kate jumped out of her chair and ran a hand through her hair. "The bullet went through his right lung. He's been out the entire time, … sir."

"Williams and Brown's last day is tomorrow. Thanks to a scheduling snafu, their replacements don't join us until tomorrow. I'm sending them out to the site with Williams tomorrow.

You have tomorrow off detective. After that I need you to report to the precinct. What Rick found and got him shot for his troubles is big, really big. Units tried chasing down 3 that got away, but they lost them.

I've got half of New York out looking for them. The other half is at the warehouse. The FBI is showing up tomorrow too. Likely they will want to take it over." Roy tells her.

Kate was all set to object when Roy raised his hand. "They may have overall control but this is my jurisdiction. I need you to join up with our 2 new additions and take that place apart. CSU is already on the scene, but it's big and it's going to take time. Even for them.

I should take you off the case since you are too emotionally involved in it now, but I'm not. Don't make me regret this decision detective." Roy cautions her.

"No sir." Kate was going to work it even without his approval, having it only made things easier.

"Here are the files on the two you will be working with. Read them, get to know them. You three are likely going to be out there for days." Roy hands over the files that were in his hands.

"I'd give you more time off detective, but you are needed. Bright and early day after tomorrow." Roy tells her and then leaves.

One day! One lousy day while her husband is in the hospital. Shot in the chest. Still she wanted the guy that did this. Even she could see when she was there; Rick wasn't even close to the chain link fence. She needed ballistics on the bullet that shot him. Kate was betting it was a sniper rifle. But how did they know he was there.

Kate checked on Rick again before sitting down and opening the first of the two files.

**Kevin Ryan**

He began his law enforcement career working in the Narcotics division of NYPD.

Extremely smart and charming, albeit a bit paranoid at times.

His loyal and protective nature, allows him to stay calm and help others in the face of danger.

His badge number is 42344.

Allergic to goose feathers.

Been scared of nuns since Catholic School.

Scared of horror films, like Fear of Chucky and The Ring.

Has two sisters.

**Javier Esposito**

Esposito's parents split up when he was five years old.

Served in the military in the U.S. Army Special Forces. He served time in Iraq. Suffers from PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Transferring from 54th precinct, where he worked with Detective Tom Demming and his old partner, Ike Thornton. Kate moans, "Not Tom again." Not that she has seen him since that day he was in Montgomery's office.

Part of an organized crime task force meant to bring down criminal Victor Racine.

He considers personal loyalty very important.

Had a troubled past, involving crimes, after his parents divorced.

Kate pulled out a pen and started making notes along the side. She made notes to ask about what he knew in narcotics, why he transferred from the 54th, who was Victor Racine?

"Kate?" Was whispered out and Kate dumped everything on the floor including her pen as she jumped up next to Rick's bed so she could look at him.

Kate leaned way in till she could look him in the eyes. "RICK!" And played with his hair a little.

Rick's eyes were everywhere until they finally settled on hers. "You're in a hospital. You got shot in the chest. It was a thru and thru, right through your right lung." Kate tells him.

_That explained the pain and why the room looked different. Rick also noticed she had been crying._

Rick lifted a hand and stroked her face. Kate intercepted it with one of hers and held against her cheek, then kissed his palm and placed it back on her cheek.

"I didn't go in." Rick whispered out.

"I know you didn't, I know. I found you outside the fence in a pool of blood. … You scared the hell out of me Rick. I thought I'd lost you." Kate was ready to cry again and was already blinking back tears.

Rick could see them. "Sorry, …. I was only looking." Rick tried to put up a defense.

"I know, but I'm the cop in this family. You should have just left it to me. Alexis is petrified." Kate knew she was holding it together pretty good, but then she was only 5 and didn't understand how serious it was.

_Ooops, Rick knew he was in trouble now._ "Who shot me?" Rick didn't see a thing.

"I don't know yet, but when I do I'm going to kill him. Then I'm going to kill you." Kate was still mad.

Rick grinned. "I have nanites." Kate might shoot him, but he would recover.

"And that's the only reason you're alive now. That shot should have killed you." Kate points out.

"Does that mean I get to drink more of your blood?" Rick was grinning again. He was thinking vampire again.

Kate would normally have punched him for that, but kisses him instead. Then she reaches over and pushes the call button to get a nurse in here. Rick was awake and they would likely want to look him over.

Kate retreated out of the room while two nurses and then a doctor look Rick over. While they did Kate pulled out her phone.

"Hi mom, Castle is awake. …. The nurses and a doctor are looking him over now. They kicked me out. …. I don't know, depends on what they tell me. Can you keep Alexis for the night? … Thanks mom. … When does Martha get in? I don't know she hasn't called to tell me…. Yes as soon as I know I'll let you know. …. Thanks mom, bye." And Kate waits for the nurses and doctor to come out.

Kate waited by walking the area. "Mrs. Castle? … Your husband is doing remarkably well considering. With his kind of injury I fully expected for his lung to be collapsed and the need for him to be on a ventilator, however it didn't and he has no need for one.

He has no internal bleeding which is also surprising; no other major organs were affected. At his rate of recovery we'll be moving him into a room by morning. You are free to stay the night if you wish, however these chairs are designed to prevent people from staying long. Still it's your back.

He has some pain and what we have given him will likely put him to sleep soon.

There is a small coffee shop across the street, I don't recommend ours I'm afraid. There is also a small bar and grill two doors down from the coffee shop. Their Panini's are to die for.

I'm dying to get this written up and get it into a journal; your husband just might make medical history with his speed of recovery." The doctor tells Kate.

"Thanks doctor." And Kate goes back into Rick's room.

Kate went back into his room and all but crawled into bed with him. "Rick, please don't do anything like that again. I understand you know almost as much as me, since you helped me get to here, but this is MY job. Not yours." Kate pleads. Her heart hurt just with almost losing him, she didn't know what would happen to her if she actually did.

Kate tried to look him in the eyes, but he had fallen asleep somewhere during her pleading.

Kate leans in and kisses him softly. "Just get better Rick, I'll be right here." Then kisses him again. Stepping back she starts picking up all her papers off the floor.

Just as she gets them back in the proper folders her phone vibrates. "Hi Martha. He woke up but is asleep now. ... The doctor says he is doing remarkably well _(He should, he's got thousands of nanites in him)_. They plan on moving him out of ICU tomorrow and into his own room _(Note to self ask 117 a question about the nanites)_. ... 3:00 pm on United, got it. My father will be there to pick you up and probably bring you straight here. ... Your room on the boat is always ready. ... I hope so Martha, I'll see you when you get here." And Kate hangs up and goes back to working on her paperwork.

Cursing Kate takes her phone back out. "Rick is recovering, does he need more nanites now since he is using them?" Kate types.

"You can but not required. They will count themselves and make more to keep that number. He will need additional minerals to make more of them faster."

"Minerals, like vitamin tablets?" Kate types.

"Correct."

Kate sighs, she could do that. _Note to self make sure Alexis is taking them too._

Kate jerked awake and almost fell out of her chair. She also found her folder and its contents all over the floor again. "Damn it." Kate got to work cleaning up her mess again. Then got up and checked on Rick.

The machine showed he had a steady heart beat and he was still asleep. Kate bent down over him and softly kissed him. "I'll be right back Rick, i promise." Kate headed out of his room, and then the hospital and walked across the street.

First she saw that the coffee shop was still open so she headed for the Panini place.

Chicken Portabella Melt

sliced chicken breast, provolone cheese, sauteed portabella mushrooms, roasted red peppers and onions and roasted garlic aioli on freshly-baked ciabatta bread.

With sandwich in her bag she went to the coffee shop. And was soon on her way back to Rick's room.

Kate was half way through her sandwich. "Something smells good."

Kate was out of her seat in a flash and was leaning over Rick instantly. "Hi, how do you feel?"

"Pretty good actually. I think it's the drugs, I can barely feel anything." Rick tells her.

Kate smiles. "Apparently your nose isn't broken though."

Rick smiles. "What are you eating? It smells great."

"There's a little Panini shop across the street. It's pretty good actually." Kate tells him smiling back at him.

"I don't suppose you could sneak one of those in here when they try and feed me hospital food?" Rick wasn't looking forward to the slop this place was likely to feed him.

"I'll see what I can do if you're a good boy." Kate teases.

"That takes care of my chances, since we both know I'm a bad boy." Rick lifts his eyebrows a couple of times.

It got Kate to chuckle. "Maybe later Castle." Kate grinned while wishing it was tonight.

"Don't look at me like that Kate. … Unless you plan on climbing into bed with me." Rick moans.

"Not tonight Castle, I want you healthy before I use you and abuse you." Kate tried to use her best bedroom voice.

Rick moans. "Evil woman. … How about a kiss to hold me over?" Rick offers instead.

Kate smiled and leaned down with the intent of giving him a quick kiss. Rick however used his hand to hold her head in place and kissed her deeply. Soon using his tongue to stroke her lower lip. As soon as Kate opened her mouth a little he pressed the kiss deeper and used his tongue to search her mouth and taste her.

Kate finally broke from the kiss and started placing light kisses to his cheek and worked her way to his ear. "You scared me to death Rick. My heart would never survive if I lost you." Kate was ready to start crying again.

"I'm sorry Kate, I really thought I was far enough away and I didn't see anyone at all." Rick apologizes again.

Kate goes back to looking in his eyes. "I love you Rick." Kate blinks back her new tears.

"I love you too Kate. So what's so important about that warehouse that they are willing to kill anyone who comes near it?" Rick didn't understand. It was a warehouse with a bunch of trucks parked outside.

"You know who interrogated and tortured that guy in the house. Then they packed up and moved it all to this warehouse. Whoever he is after he must be involved with that house and by extension that warehouse.

Maybe whoever he is after really is powerful." Kate speculates, still looking into Rick's eyes.

Kate could see he was really awake and was thinking. "And if they were willing to kill me from range, it's a good bet this guy isn't a nice guy." Rick offers.

"Your mother is flying in." Kate chooses now to tell him.

"You called my mother?" Rick was shocked.

Kate stands back up. "You got shot Castle and you're her son, so yeah, I called her. She lands about 3:00 pm tomorrow." Rick looks properly chastised.

"How's Alexis?" Rick remembers she was in the car out there with him.

"She's scared Rick, you're in the hospital hooked up to machines." Kate tells him.

"She saw me?" Rick was shocked again.

"She wouldn't let go of me, she even fought to get out of my mother's arms and into mine. Then the doctor came out to tell us about you, and I brought her with me.

She knows your alive and just sleeping like you do at home. It just happens to be here instead. But I think she knows something is wrong. She's smart Rick, really smart." Kate hopes he isn't mad at her.

"You might as well bring her in with you next time and put her in bed with me. A little cuddling should do the trick." Rick tells her.

It had Kate smiling. He wasn't mad at her and was trying to find a way to make their daughter feel better.

"You know you could join her next time too." Rick grins at her.

Kate just rolls her eyes and glares at him.

"I'll get you to change your mind Kate. … You wait and see." Rick smiles at her.

Kate actually hoped he could. She could use some cuddling about now too. Deep down she was still scared.


	44. Chapter 44

**CH44**

Kate had finally broken down and gone home to shower, change clothes and get some much needed sleep. Rick was so full of drugs he was going to be out for hours.

Kate however was still up late into the night. The boat was quiet, too damn quiet. Castle was in the hospital and Alexis was spending the night with her parents.

Kate had finally given up and gone to bed, however that presented its own kind of challenges. The bed was empty! It was a nice big king size bed that was more than comfortable to sleep in. It's just that the bed was cold. There was no Castle to warm her up.

No arms to hold her tight and she only got a whiff of his scent from his pillow that she presently had a strangle hold on. It was about now when the tears started. If this is what it felt like missing him tonight, what she would be like if that shot had killed him only increased the tears.

There was a time when she was smoking those damn cigarettes alone and in the dark. Now she hated even the thought of those damn things and she wanted to be anything but alone, nighttime or daylight.

Still crying Kate gave up and got up and got dressed. Grabbing her saddle bags she filled them with what she thought she would need, then got on her bike and started riding.

With saddle bags in hand and probably looking like hell with tears still in her eyes, she pushed the button and waited. Then pushed it again. Finally watching the door open. "Katie?" Jim rubbed his eyes, his mind not yet working since he had just woken up.

"Hi dad, can I come in and sleep with Alexis?" Kate knew it sounded funny. A grown woman wanting to sleep with a 5 year old. But she was her 5 year old.

Jim shakes his head having only gotten about half of that. "Sure, sure, she's in your old bedroom." Jim manages to close and lock the door behind her.

"Thanks dad." And Kate shuffles her feet across the floor making her way to her old bedroom. She hadn't been in it since she left, but somehow made it on autopilot.

Inside she found Alexis sleeping in her old queen size bed that was way too big for her. Kate dropped her bags and stripped off her clothes and pulled out one of her nightshirts Castle had gotten her on her first shopping trip.

Then Kate slipped into bed and tried to cuddle up behind Alexis, and soon had her spooned into her with Kate's arm draped over her holding her close.

Alexis actually seemed to snuggle backwards further into Kate, but never woke up. Kate placed her own head right above Alexis's head and breathed her in and slowly started to relax. It took only a couple of minutes for Kate to go to sleep with Alexis snuggled in tight.

Jim was climbing back into bed when a sleepy Johanna spoke up. "Who was at the door?" Johanna worked at snuggling into her husband again as he got settled.

"It was Katie." Jim tells her working to help his wife find a good spot.

"Hhhmmm, that's nice." Johanna mumbled out. Then immediately shot up straight. **"KATIE!?** What's wrong? Is Rick alright? What did she say?" Johanna slaps him. "TALK!"

"OWE!. … She wanted to know if she could sleep with Alexis, so I let her in, and told her she was in her old room." Jim tries to get back to sleep since his wife apparently didn't want to cuddle anymore.

Johanna hopped out of bed and didn't bother with finding a robe and dashed for Katie's old room. Inside she found both of them sound asleep with Alexis spooned into Katie.

What she saw tugged at her heart strings and all but turned her into a puddle of goo on the floor. Johanna watched for a bit then turned and shuffled her feet back to their bedroom and worked at snuggling into her husband.

Her daughter really had grown up and loved Alexis a lot, and watching her break down at the hospital told her how much she loved Rick too. Two years of hell to get to here. Johanna was glad she had made it. Just wished there had been an easier way.

Kate started blinking her eyes open now that she was awake. Nothing looked really familiar, however there was a weight on her that felt vaguely familiar. It wasn't Castle's arm, but she liked it.

Kate looked down and found Alexis lying on top of her while she herself was lying on her back. It took Kate a moment to recall how she got here. She was missing Castle in her bed with his arms around her. Having Alexis was the next best thing. And it had apparently worked.

Kate started nudging Alexis awake. After finally succeeding. "Hi mom." Alexis was still a little sleepy.

"Hi pumpkin, sleep well?" Kate knew she had, all thanks to her daughter. Kate watches Alexis nod her head.

"How about we get up, take a shower, get dressed, have breakfast and then go see your father." Kate suggested.

Alexis's eyes opened wide at that and Kate could see her nodding her head enthusiastically.

They ended up sharing a shower since Kate didn't know how long the hot water would last.

All dressed and with her saddle bags in hand went out into the living room and dropped her bags on the sofa and then they followed their nose to the kitchen.

"Morning you two." Johanna was cooking while Jim was sitting at the breakfast bar drinking coffee.

"Is there any of that left?" Kate points to his coffee cup.

"I'll get it." Johanna offers, and soon sets a cup down in front of Kate and then pulls the vanilla creamer out of the refrigerator.

"We don't have breakfast meant for 5 year olds anymore, but I've got some fruit, toast, milk and orange juice." Johanna offers.

"That'll work for both of us mom, thanks." Kate tells her, glad to get Alexis off that kid's sugary stuff even for a day.

"Are you going to the hospital this morning?" Johanna asks as she gets breakfast ready for them.

"Just as soon as I'm done eating." Kate confirms.

"MOM?" Alexis tugs on Kate's shirt.

"Ooops I rode my bike, I didn't bring the car. I don't know why I did that." It suddenly hit Kate. She hadn't even put on any of her leathers either.

"I didn't bring your leathers or your helmet pumpkin. … I'm sorry." Kate strokes her hair.

"That's ok Katie we are going with you, we can bring Alexis. Jim can drive." Johanna offers up her husband as the chauffeur. It did not go un-noticed by Jim, but he remained silent on the matter.

"I'll meet you at the hospital, there is something I need to stop and get first." Kate tells her parents who take Alexis.

Kate pulls up on her bike just as her parents with Alexis reach the front door. Inside they find that Rick has already been transferred to his own room and out of ICU.

Taking the elevator up to the 4th floor they start down the hall looking for his room number.

Inside they find Rick sitting up in bed flipping through TV channels trying to find something to keep him entertained. "Hi Castle!" Kate spoke first and walked right up and leaned in to kiss him.

"MOM?" Alexis had her arms lifted up. Kate grinned and leaned down and scooped Alexis up and plopped her on Castle's bed.

Alexis promptly worked her way over till she was lying next to her father with his arms wrapped around her. "Have you been a good girl?"

"She's been an angel." Johanna answers his question for her.

"I gotta say son, for someone who was shot the other day you're looking rather chipper." Jim points out.

Rick smiles. "Feel pretty good too. My doctor keeps talking about writing up a paper about me."

That had Kate a little worried. What if they found the nanites in his system? Then what? "Oh I brought you something." Kate hands the bag over to Castle.

"It's a sausage, bacon, cheese and egg whites on Texas toast. Don't want you getting sick eating hospital food." Kate smiles at him.

"I knew there was a reason why I loved you." Rick smiled back and pulled out his breakfast sandwich and started eating, giving a piece of it to Alexis now and then.

Talk moved on to what Rick was told by the doctor this morning before they got there.

Rick asked if Kate knew anything about the warehouse. Only that she had today off and was expected in the precinct tomorrow morning and start work with the two guys replacing Williams and Brown who were retiring.

Jim and Johanna left after a couple of hours and would be back later to pick up Alexis.

Kate stayed until lunch and then walked across the street and got them all panini's.

"I'm going to go get the car Castle. I rode out here on my bike and I didn't bring Alexis's leathers or helmet. I'll be back as fast as I can." Kate got up and kissed both of them.

While Kate was at the boat she grabbed Castle's laptop so he would have something to play with if he got bored. She needed to remember to ask him about his next book and if he had any ideas yet. He was a writer and he needed to be writing to be happy.

By the time Kate got back she found Rick and Alexis asleep in his bed. Rick had scooted over to the edge of the bed and Alexis was lying on top of him.

It gave Kate an idea, so she took her boots off and went around to the other side of his bed and worked till she was also in his bed. Kate buried her one arm in a good spot and draped her other arm over Rick and Alexis and relaxed.

It felt good and she buried her face in his neck and she could breathe him in. This is what she missed last night.

The nurse came in an hour later to give Rick his lunch and found the three of them all wrapped up in each other. Instead she took the blanket that was at the foot of the bed and covered them up.

The doctor came in just before Kate left with Aleixs that evening so she could take Alexis over to her parent's house to stay, since she had to work tomorrow.

The doctor still didn't understand how Rick was recovering so fast. At this rate he was willing to let Rick go home late tomorrow if he kept this up.

Kate was grinning at Rick after the doctor left. She was getting her husband back. "We're going to go stay at my parent's house. I'm going to leave Alexis there and go into work in the morning. I'll be back after work to pick you up and take you home babe. Don't do anything stupid on me. I want you home."

"BABE?" It was all Rick heard, the rest went in one ear and out the other.

Kate smiles at him. "It's your new name. … deal with it." Kate widens her smile and leans in to kiss him. "I'll see you tomorrow evening Rick."

"Go kick some ass Kate." Rick calls after her.

They shot her husband and she was going to do just that.

Kate dropped off Alexis at her parents' house and then traded in the car for her bike. She had a place to park the bike at the precinct but not the car. It would make tomorrow a little more complex of a dance but she was getting her husband back.

"Hi mom." Kate tells Johanna who answered the door.

"Alexis is telling us that her daddy is coming home tomorrow." Johanna didn't believe her. Rick had been shot in the chest. The fact he wasn't dead was a miracle in of itself.

"Castle is recovering fast, they're going to release him tomorrow." Kate was smiling, seeing Alexis sitting at the table on a bunch of phone books.

Kate walks over to her and ruffles her hair. "Hi pumpkin. Does it taste good?" Kate sits down next to her.

Kate had stayed with her parents again in her old room with Alexis in her arms again. It helped Kate get to sleep. Kate was up and out of the house before anyone else was up.

With her bike in the parking garage Kate was just stepping out onto the 4th floor.

Kate saw that Captain Montgomery had two guys in his office with him. "Castle!" Roy waves her in.

"These are detectives Ryan and Esposito. I need you three out at the warehouse and take over for Williams. I want to know what is so important about that warehouse. Now get out of my office.

Castle, here are the keys to the cruiser you three are going to be using for the day." Roy tosses them to Kate.

"Yes sir." Kate picks up Ryan and Espo and start driving.

"Captain Montgomery told us your husband actually found the place. How's he doing?" Espo asks Kate.

"The doctor is thinking he is getting out of the hospital later today." Kate answered smiling.

"That's amazing, Montgomery told us he was shot only the other day." Espo was shocked and having his jaw on the floor of the car only confirmed it.

"Yeah, he's been lucky. It'll be good to have him home. Our daughter is handling it well, but I don't think she knows how serious it is." Kate tells them.

"How old is she?" Espo asks, since Ryan is in the back keeping quiet.

"She's five." Kate answers, proud of her.

"Uniforms and CSU have been here all day yesterday, so it should be clear." Kate tells them.

"Montgomery told us that there were 10 uniforms here all of last night." Ryan comments.

That was something Kate didn't know, but since this place was important, it made sense.

"The FBI are going to show up today soon, so let's get started. Everyone take an aisle and don't forget your gloves." Kate tells them.

Snapping on their gloves they spread out.

"I've got a lot of furniture, looks like bedroom stuff. Nice too." Ryan yells out.

"Same here." Espo calls out.

"I've got living room." Kate calls out.

None of this was worth killing anyone over, but it was a big warehouse.

Hours later but not yet lunch they had walked the length of the warehouse on the ground floor. That left the mezzanine that was partially open to the lower level.

"How about we check the trucks outside on our way to lunch, I'm buying." Kate offers. It was Castle's money, but Kate didn't have any qualms about spending it on lunch.

"I never turn down a free lunch." Espo replies.

"Locked." Kate notices the padlock.

"There should be bolt cutters in the trunk." Espo has been in a number of them by now.

Kate hands over the keys and her and Ryan wait.

Opening the first truck they find wooden crates nailed closed. "Great, now we need a crowbar." Espo moans and heads for the trunk of the car again.

Espo opens the first one and almost drops the crowbar, and then whistles. **"WOW!"**

It got the other two up next to him to look too. **"WOW!"** Kate's jaw hits the floor of the truck.

"We need back-up and lots of it." Ryan tells them.

There were nine more crates in this truck alone. "If this was mine, I'd want it back as soon as I could. Wonder why they didn't do it last night." Ryan adds.

Kate pulls out her phone and arranges for 8 cruisers to join them and still more to block the local roads in and out.

They have 3 more trucks open with one crate open in each finding the same thing in each crate.

They are walking for the 4th truck when 3 large SUV's with blacked out windows show up and out step 3 men dressed in suits, obviously armed.

"Looks like the cavalry is here." Espo growls. These jerks were going to swoop in and take over kicking them to the curb. Their ego's think they are soooo much better than they are.

"I'm agent Bishop, this is an FBI matter now. Will take over from here." One of them approaches the three of them, while the others spread out.

Kate was FBI trained and there was something about these guys that was off, just couldn't figure out what yet.

"This is my crime scene. I've got one dead and one in the hospital. You can help, but this place is NYPD." Kate counters.

"This is FBI now detective, you can step aside or we can do it for you, and you can explain it to your captain, just before you're fired." The same guy counters.

Kate hates this guy, he is soooo full of himself. Then it hits Kate. FBI always shows ID first to prove who they are. And why are some of them dressed in dark blue suits, some in black and some in dark gray. And all are wearing black shoes.

Two don't even have ties on, just open shirts with open jackets. Actually all of them have open jackets. And why are they separated from each other? They should be working as teams of at least two. These guys were all single.

Kate quickly pulls her weapon with a little 117 speed. "You made a mistake."

It got Ryan and Espo to pull their weapons. "Don't." Kate tells the FBI guy doing the talking, as Kate watches his hand move for his weapon.

"You'll never get us all detective." As he smiles. He might get injured but there were going to be 3 dead cops soon.

However his smile fades when they all hear the sirens of several police cruisers arriving on scene.

"Those will be mine. You can leave in cuffs standing or in body bags." Kate smiles back.


	45. Chapter 45

**CH45**

The nine fake FBI guys all chose cuffs. They all had cuffs on with their hands behind their back lying face down on the blacktop, when Captain Montgomery along with still more units, an NYPD bus and 3 more black SUV's rolled in.

This time with real FBI men and one woman. The woman approaches Kate and shows her ID. "Special Agent Jordan Shaw. My team will take these gentlemen off your hands.

I hear you spotted them first." Jordan mentions, silently asking for an explanation.

"I've had several training sessions with my husband at Quantico. A few weeks of weapons training, defensive driving and combat courses." Kate explains, not seeing the shock on Ryan and Espo's faces.

"You're Castle, Richard Castle's wife." Jordan understood now. "I've heard about you two. You two are all the talk. I know at least three team leaders who are dying to talk you two into joining them as a husband and wife team." Jordan wouldn't mind adding them to hers either.

Kate starts blushing. "Thanks, but I have plans on expanding my family and making it to senior homicide detective. Maybe after the kids are born, I'll consider it." Kate tells her.

"I don't give up easily detective Castle, so this is not over yet. … Let's see what these guys want so badly." Jordan heads for one of the trucks, while her team moves the fake FBI guys to the bus and cuff and shackle them in place, one at a time.

Jordan's open wide. "WOW!" Jordan pulls out her phone and takes a picture and sends it to her laptop.

A minute later. "10 million per crate. … How many crates?" Jordan now asks.

"Almost 400 million in cash. No wonder they want it back." Jordan comments. While taking out her phone.

Kate is listening in and learns Jordan is calling in more troops to drive and escort the trucks out of here.

"I don't understand why they didn't come get them last night when there were only a few uniforms guarding the whole place." Kate didn't understand.

"Logistics most likely. It takes time to find and arrange a team to accomplish this, and get the SUV's needed to convince you to let them take them. Plus they need people to drive them and start them without keys." Jordan explains.

"And take out the guards if necessary. Most likely they wanted to do it without firing a shot. Gunfire attracts attention and would compress their window to succeed. Fortunately for us, you were here." Jordan gives Kate credit.

"After our friends are gone I'll order lunch delivered and then we can start to take this warehouse apart." Jordan adds as she exits the truck and oversees the fake FBI guys leaving with two of her team in an SUV along with 3 police cruisers.

There was already a plane at the airport being prepared to take them to DC before they even left the site. From there they would never leave the airport and get distributed to satellite FBI holding places.

A version of 'never put all your eggs in one basket'.

Lunch turned out to be several platters of mini subs along with an assortment of drinks.

"I expected better from the FBI." Espo was teasing.

"We only get the cool tools, not the cool food." Jordan counters.

Inside the warehouse. "CSU has only finished ¼ of the building. We walked the ground floor and only found furniture." Kate provides.

"Let's see what the mezzanine offers then." Jordan along with 3 of her team start up the stairs.

Up here were boxes, lots and lots of boxes. "Gloves everyone." Jordan reminds them.

Everyone takes a box. It was slow going since they had a lot of boxes. "Detective Castle." Jordan calls out.

Kate turns to look and finds Jordan standing there with a sniper rifle. "Rick!" Kate steps over to Jordan.

"Looks like we found the weapon that shot your husband." Jordan points out.

Kate can't touch it, it almost took her husband from her. Then watches Jordan sets it down and grabs her ever present bag. Pulling out her laptop and a method for dusting for prints.

Taking a picture of the prints she finds and sends it to her laptop. "Now let's see who we've got." Jordan is talking to herself mostly, but also for Kate's benefit.

"Hal Lockwood, let's see who this Hal Lockwood is." Jordan does a search. "Nothing. … How is that possible?" Jordan pulled out her phone and made a call while walking away.

Walking back a few minutes later. "I've got another team looking him up; he exists so we're going to find him."

"Heard of this before?" Kate asks.

"I have." Espo offers. Getting Jordan, Kate and Ryan to look at him.

"There were teams in the Gulf that didn't exist. If they died no one knew they were gone. It was rumored what types of missions they went out on. …. Black ops so dark even their bosses didn't exist." Espo tells them.

"Rumors?" Jordan prefers facts.

"Unless your team has military contacts, you're never going to find him. If he's high enough up the ladder, you're going to get a phone call." Espo warns her.

"So this is some kind of military black ops with 400 million in cash?" Jordan shakes her head. "It doesn't add up. If they were that highly placed they wouldn't have sent fake FBI guys to get their money back." Jordan counters.

"I only know what it looks like." Espo tells them.

They went back to opening boxes and could see the CSU team below them making their way down the ground floor. It was slow going for both of them, there was so much stuff to search.

"Well what do we have here?" Jordan is interested in what she just found. Pulling one out for all to see. "It's a money counter. Put in the loose bills. It shuffles them into a set bundle that you take out and wrap up." Jordan explains.

Kate peeks into the box. "That's a few counters." It was only four in the box.

"I'm betting the box below this one and maybe others have still more. Military wouldn't be hiding this in a house in New York. Not likely even in the States. This is something else." Jordan points out.

"The house had security cameras, furniture, money counters and money. Along with a dead body who had been tortured.

Mob might be behind the house, but how does a military black ops guy fit into this." Kate was lost. "Who owned the house and this warehouse?" Kate asks.

"Let's find out." Jordan pulls out her phone again. "We'll have an answer before the end of the day."

They went back to searching the boxes. True to Jordan's words they found more money counters and eventually found the security cameras and all the screens used to watch what they saw.

"Jordan!" Kate calls out. Having opened another box.

"Recording equipment. They recorded everything." Jordan mentions, and then opens one of them. "Empty. … Either they took the tapes with them, or, …."

Kate finishes it for her. "It's in this building somewhere."

"Maybe we'll get lucky." Jordan adds.

They called it a night and so far hadn't gotten lucky on finding the recordings.

Kate had ridden her bike home and exchanged it for the BMW and drove to the hospital. Stepping into Rick's room Kate found Rick sitting up in bed with Martha standing next to him.

"Katherine." Martha stepped over and gave her a Martha motherly hug. "How are you doing dear?"

"Better, did they tell you, you could go home?" Kate looks past her to Rick.

"They only just left, they are putting the paperwork together. All he has to do is sign it." Martha answers for Rick.

Kate moved past Martha to kiss Rick. "How do you feel Castle?" Kate was happy to take him home.

"Ready to go home. You should have seen what they tried to feed me." Rick moans. Getting Kate to smile, if he was moaning, he was feeling better.

While they were waiting Jim and Johanna showed up with Alexis. "Come on over here pumpkin." Kate lifts her up and plops her on the bed and into her father's arms.

They were home and Martha took her suitcase downstairs to get settled in her room. She had taken the next week off, thinking Katherine could use the support. After all her husband had just been shot.

While downstairs Martha couldn't help but wonder how her son was home from being shot in the chest just the other day. Granted Kate did all the heavy lifting and Richard was moving slowly, but still, ….

As much as Martha would love to understand better, she was way too happy her son was still alive, so she would keep her questions to herself. If answers came later that would be great.

Back upstairs Martha found Kate in the kitchen putting dinner together, glad that Kate had bonded with her mother again and had allowed her to teach her how to cook again. Walking into the living room she found a very quiet Richard and Alexis cuddled up next to him.

Martha decided to let them relax in peace and went into the kitchen. "Katherine, how is he doing? Really."

Kate stops what she was doing, it still hurt to know how close she had come to losing him. "He has some pain still, I need to change his bandages tonight before bed and then again in the morning before work."

Martha however already knew all that, she was there when the doctor told them the terms of his release.

"I think he's taking having been shot better than I am. I'm the cop but he's the one that gets shot. He wasn't anywhere near that place really and they still shot him for it." Kate still wanted this Hal Lockwood guy. With or without Jordan, she was going to find him.

"So what's so special about this place that they needed to kill my son over it?" Martha as a mother felt she needed to know.

"I can't tell you much Martha, it's an ongoing investigation. … But I can tell you that we found $400 million in cash there." Kate tells her something.

"Money, they killed or tried to for money." Martha knew money was important but she didn't need it to feel happy when Rick was little. She knew they had suffered early but Richard now having a lot of it hadn't changed him any, not really.

"One of the age old reasons to kill." Kate confirms.

Martha could tell there was more to it than that, but maybe Katherine couldn't tell her much. Secrets, she hated them.

"I know Castle is tired even if he is trying to hide it." Kate adds.

Martha takes Kate's arm. "You're doing fine Katherine, better than I ever would have. When you called to tell me he had been shot I thought the worst. I've had people killed in my acting, it was all fake, but you'd be surprised how real it can look." Martha has seen a lot of fake blood in her years.

"I'm glad you're here Martha. Castle needs to take it easy and if I leave him to his own devices, …." Kate trails off afraid to think about what would happen.

"Not to worry Katherine, I'll keep him as inactive as I can. I understand my own son." Martha was only too aware of what kind of trouble Richard can get himself into.

Kate had spent the most comfortable night in days sleeping next to Castle, breathing him in that night. Now she was upstairs making breakfast for everyone. "Hi mom." Alexis comes flying into the kitchen with way too much energy this early in the morning.

"Hi pumpkin. Your breakfast is ready, have a seat." Kate helps her into the chair at the bistro table and gives her breakfast.

"Morning Katherine." Martha floats into the kitchen brushing a hand across Kate's shoulder. "And how are you dear?" Martha kisses Alexis and joins her at the table.

"Hi grams." Alexis smiles back swinging her feet under her chair.

"Where is Richard?" Martha asks.

"He's still sleeping. His breakfast if he wants it will be in the warmer." Kate explains.

Kate met Alexis at the ramp to the boat. "You be a good girl pumpkin. Your father is still hurting so don't push him and do what grams tells you." Kate kisses her on the cheek.

"Bye mom." Alexis kisses her back on the cheek. Alexis had adapted to her mother leaving for the day and coming back that night.

Rick had retreated to his office after eating what Kate had left behind for him.

It wasn't until lunch when Martha interrupted him. "Lunch dear?" Martha wasn't good in the kitchen, but how bad did you need to be to make a sandwich.

Not getting an answer. "What are you doing Richard?" He was sitting there with his laptop in his lap.

"Research. Kate works so hard it would be nice if we had someplace to go to relax. Take her mind off work. Except it needs to be close. Something in driving distance." Rick wanted to find a place you didn't have to fly to get to.

"I just don't know where?" Rick wasn't from New York, but he was learning.

"Bring up a map Richard, there has to be someplace. So what do you want?" If he could answer that question it might help.

"Ooooo, try here dear." Martha points.

"Hamptons? What's in the Hamptons?" Rick didn't understand.

"It's a popular seaside summer resort area. You want to get Katherine someplace to wind down and relax, that would be the place." Martha tells him.

Amagansett  
>$14,500,000<br>beds: 5  
>baths: 6.5<br>est. 4,400 sq. ft.  
>est. 0.75 acres<br>oceanfront  
>traditional<br>CAC  
>heat: oha<br>heated pool  
>tennis: no<br>south of the highway

Southampton  
>$13,950,000<br>beds: 5  
>baths: 6.5<br>est. 8,900 sq. ft.  
>est. 2.00 acres<br>bayfront-harborfront  
>gambrel<br>CAC  
>heat: oha<br>heated pool  
>room for tennis<p>

Quogue  
>$12,000,000<br>beds: 6  
>baths: 6<br>est. 5,900 sq. ft.  
>est. 2.90 acres<br>oceanfront  
>english country<br>CAC  
>heat: gas<br>heated pool  
>room for tennis<br>south of the highway.

Water Mill  
>$13,950,000<br>beds: 4  
>baths: 3<br>est. 3,500 sq. ft.  
>est. 0.93 acres<br>oceanfront  
>beach cottage<br>CAC  
>heat: gas<br>pool: no  
>tennis: no<br>south of the highway

Rick had his four locations to choose from the next time Kate had a couple of days off.

Personally he liked Water Mill in the pictures, but they were all nice. You had to walk across the dunes first to get to the beach at the first one, however while all of them had neighbors in the area, you couldn't see them.

One of them was gated so it has security, and he liked that idea. He rejected a number of the ones he found since they were not right on the beach. If he was going to spend this much money, it had to be perfect.

Rochefort was sitting at home eating. His wounds had long since healed thanks to the nanites he had in his system. The knife wound had healed quickly even if it was deep.

He had been forced to pull the bullet out of his own midsection. The pain had caused him to grimace but he hadn't screamed. That was weakness and he wasn't weak.

His interrogation of the guy had gained him a name that he was working for. It wasn't who he was after, it was just the next person to interrogate to find him.

He was big and he was black and he had a name and a general area of his location. That meant he got to hunt again, which suited him fine.

It was just another test and proof that he had chosen correctly. His target held power and was elusive and well protected. He was going to enjoy killing him.

Just one problem, his home was becoming more active. It's owners had come back and he had tied them up tight and dumped them in another section of the house. Then they had visitors who had joined them. They weren't worth killing. Though obviously rich, they all lacked power.

They had even groveled and pleaded for their lives. Pathetic!

They had received yet another person yesterday, who had joined the others. It was time to move on to another house to take over while the owners were out. The house communication system had started working too. It was too busy around here now.

Fortunately he already had just the next place scouted out. He would move to it tomorrow, then continue his search. He had to find his target and no one or nothing was going to stop him.

Lazarus would die at his hands, in one way or another.


	46. Chapter 46

**CH46**

**It was now 2 weeks later:**

Jordan and her team had left only 2 days ago. Until then Jordan and Kate had spent a lot of time together. It was during this time that Kate found out a few things about Jordan too. Married and had a little girl of her own.

A few missed birthdays, school events and some of the one time events that she isn't home for. Knowing that her husband is explaining that her mother is off slaying dragons. Kate knew she had excused herself so she could talk to her daughter several times.

Kate knew the FBI was interested in her, in both of them. "How do you do it?" Kate had asked.

"It's not for everyone. I'm missing time with my daughter and yes it hurts. But I also know what I do makes a difference. The place she grows up in is safer. When does that time even out or start costing more than it's worth? …. I don't know. It might be tomorrow, it might be next year.

There are some in the FBI and other organizations who have given up having children or even being married. The work they do is all they have. Does it work for them? You'd have to ask them. I only know that, that's not for me.

And I've seen your life here and know it's not for you either. Do I still want you and likely Rick on my team? I think you know the answer to that question. Should you decide to take me or someone up on the offer, just make sure you understand what it will cost you.

This job will swallow you whole if you let it." Jordan had given Kate a lot to think about.

The real FBI had the fake FBI guys. The FBI also had the money somewhere. Most of what they had found in the warehouse was left there. After it was all cataloged, tagged and photographed.

Jordan still hadn't found anything that went further back than 2 years for Lockwood. That alone had her pissed off, so she was still trying. However she did have a picture of him and every branch in the FBI along with Kate and her own team had it also. They were going to find him. Kate wanted him bad. He had shot her husband.

It had taken a lot of searching to find the bullet that had hit Castle. And it was a match for the weapon they had found with Lockwood's prints on it.

Rick after two weeks was back to normal. They had even done some training upstairs yesterday, though Kate had taken it easy on him. Rick had called her out on it during the drive home.

"You got, ..." Kate caught herself, since Alexis was in the back seat. "You were hurt recently and nanites or no, I'm not putting you back in the hospital just because you're stubborn." Kate chastised him.

"I learned it from the best." Rick counters, meaning Kate and her stubborn streak.

Kate however glared at him since he was driving and couldn't punch him.

Rick saw that look and was almost affected by it. _She's been learning from her mother._ Rick could tell.

Kate, Ryan and Espo were just finishing up their paperwork on the warehouse case when Ryan spoke up. "Got a new one." Ryan flashes his post-it note.

They have gathered up their weapons and Kate has snatched the post-it note from Ryan and was driving them to the site. Kate had put in yet another request for the boys to have their own car, but so far nothing had come of it.

When they arrived there were already a number of units here. They were directed deep into the house. The closer they got the stronger the smell got.

Inside a small room they find Lanie along with 5 dead people. "Hi Lanie." Kate greets her, noticing that while the view is disturbing, neither Ryan or Espo flinch from the smell or what they see.

"Hi girlfriend. We've got a nasty one for you. Meet Mr. and Mrs. Lehman." Lanie points out the two older couple. Though given the state they were in it was difficult. "This is Rebecca Lehman, their 23 year old daughter who doesn't live here anymore according to her driver's license.

And these are Mr. and Mrs. Rivera." Lanie informs them.

Kate turns to look at Ryan. "On it."

"Their hands and ankles are bound. The Lehman's look grand somehow. Their clothes appear nicer, while the Rivera's clothes do not. … Cause of death?" Kate asks her.

"Well given their present state of decay, I'd say they have been here a while. There is no apparent injuries that I can see. First guess, they were tied up and left to die. No water, no food. You can last weeks without food, usually. But no water, it would only take days." Lanie tells her.

"Guess that answers cause of death." Kate points out.

"If it holds after I get them home, yeah." Lanie is forced to admit.

"They're not gagged either." Kate points out. "Meaning they got to talk to each other while they died and yell for help." That part hit Kate and could see it in Lanie's eyes. "Who found them?"

"The Rivera's have a son, he came looking for them and called 911." Lanie tells her.

Kate turns to Espo. "I'll find him."

"Difficult to tell but it looks like Mrs. Lehman is still wearing her jewelry. Anything else in here?" Kate asks.

Lanie shakes her head. "Just the bodies."

"So if it was theft, what she is wearing isn't what they were after. … Thanks Lanie, let me know when you learn something. … Oh Castle wants to know if you'll be over tomorrow for dinner. I think he has something planned." Kate tells her.

"Sounds intriguing and you haven't quizzed him?" Lanie thought she knew Kate better than that.

"Oh I have, I even threatened him, but he's not caving. It's a surprise and he's keeping it that way. I even have my orders that you are supposed to be right behind me on the trip home." Kate tells her.

"He doesn't want you to find out before I do and then call me." Lanie points out.

Kate growls. "Oh he is so going to get it when I get home." Kate hadn't thought of that.

Kate left Lanie still thinking about what she was going to do to Castle when she got home, while she entered the kitchen. This was where things started to get confusing for her.

"Dirty dishes in the sink, take-out containers in the trash and all over the countertops." Kate talks to herself.

Opening the refrigerator and finding it mostly empty. "No fresh produce, nothing on the countertop." Even though there was clearly a space for it. Opening the freezer. "Empty! … No hamburger, chicken, no frozen anything." Kate now had an idea.

Stepping outside she finds the BBQ grill area. It too was a mess. Discarded plastic freezer bags. Kate tried turning on the propane grill. "The bottle is empty."

It was at this time Kate started to get scared and found it hard to breath. This had an all too familiar feel to it. "He's in prison!" Kate sat down at the outdoor dining table.

Ryan found her first. "The Rivera's are illegals. Looks like they came to the US legally but then never left. They have only the one child who was born here. They've been in the US for roughly 30 years. Came here when they were in their early teens together. … You ok?" Ryan could see something, plus she was sitting down.

Before Kate could even think to answer him, Espo showed up. "Michael says his parents have a house cleaning service. They Lehman's are one of their clients. When they didn't show up to their other clients they called in until they finally got a hold of Michael. He came here and found their truck and searched the house until he found them.

Their truck looks like it has been here for a while. The only other cars on site are the Lehman's; The Toyota out front is their daughters. She moved out when she went to college. Her car had a parking pass for the college. Quick call to the college shows she hasn't been in class for weeks.

I've got her roommates coming into the precinct so we can talk to them." Espo tells them.

Kate was still trying to piece herself back together while they talked. "The kitchen was empty. Someone has been living here." Kate finally gets out.

"I'll get someone to check on the cleaning business, find out why they didn't come earlier." Ryan offers.

"Ryan and I can search the grounds, maybe it will tell us how many were here and when they left." Espo offers.

"I'll take the bedrooms. If there was one only the master bedroom should be used." Kate was hoping it was.

It took some effort, but Kate was up and headed upstairs for the bedrooms.

Kate found the master bedroom without any trouble, and it was definitely used. In the walk-in closet. "Some of his clothes are missing. But nothing that is dress fancy."

Kate moved on to the other bedrooms and found all of the beds had been used. The closets were empty. All of the bathrooms had been used too.

Just no real damage to the entire house. Someone or group had eaten and slept here and then moved on.

"He's in prison." Kate kept telling herself.

They met up in the living room while watching the bodies being moved out for transport. "The place has been lived in, all the bedrooms have been used as well as the bathrooms." Kate points out.

"The place is undamaged however and nothing is stolen. I mean look around, the plasma on the wall is off and still here. A lot of these things in here are worth money. They could sell them easy." Espo points out.

"So not theft, they stayed here and tied up everyone who showed up and left them to die." Kate questions still having trouble getting past it being a group.

Espo makes a face, he wasn't onboard with it being a group. "Care to share Espo?" Kate could see the look on his face.

"Only the kitchen and outdoor area is a mess. The living room while not having been cleaned is in good shape. The Lehman's two Jags are in the garage untouched. The house is isolated but a large group would have left this place a wreck." Espo had seen what a group who didn't care could do while in the Gulf.

"Those Jags are money, lots of chop shops in New York that would be happy to have them." Ryan knew people that would love to get their hands on them.

Kate looks at them and then at the living room and into the kitchen. Kate dared to hope. "So one person. …. So who is he, where did he come from and where did he go?" Kate had questions.

"We need Lanie to tell us how long they've been here. Get the uniforms to talk to the neighbors, see if they saw or heard anything. A group is likely to have been noisy even as isolated as this place is.

We need to find him before he finds another place and does this all over again." Kate tells them feeling better.

"Those bodies have been here a while." Espo points out. He had seen death in the gulf.

Kate sighed, was this the first place of several or the latest or the only one? Did they have a cereal home invasion guy or a one off?

Kate and the guys were back in the precinct and Kate was working up her murder board while Ryan and Espo were on the phones.

"The daughters roommates are here." Espo calls out to Kate and watches as 2 young college women about her age are escorted into interrogation. Kate didn't see them as suspects, but did they talk to someone who used the information they gave?

Half an hour later Kate walked out. "They said her daughter talked to her parents weekly, even while on vacation. When she knew they were back but hadn't called her in two weeks, she went home and never came back.

The roommates thought she had quit school since she didn't like it there. She was talking about changing schools. Her parents were rich so when she didn't pick up her clothes they stupidly didn't think anything of it." Kate tells the guys.

"Are college kids really that clueless these days?" Espo didn't understand their thinking.

"It's a tiny college room being shared by 3 college girls who want to party. Now their one roommate short." Ryan counters. "No matter the reason, why screw that up by asking questions." Ryan and Espo had listened in on the other side of the mirror.

"We know they didn't tell anyone however, since they didn't want anyone to know." Kate points out. These two may be idiots, just not guilty idiots.

"Ok, leave them in there and let them think they're in trouble and then cut them loose." Kate tells them.

Kate moved over to her board. "Six months ago, and then people start showing up and he locks them up with the owners and stays. What got him to leave?

Check the Lehman's phone records and find out if they had an answering machine. Maybe they had more guests but they didn't stay long enough to get added to the group." Kate calls out to the guys.

"Anything from the neighbors?" Kate asks while marking more items on her board.

"Uniforms are still working on that." Ryan responds.

"A place like that would have a security system." Kate whispers. "Find out if they have a security system and if it is operational and did it get set off. And if it did why didn't they respond?" Kate added to the guys list.

"Six months, …. six months. He lived there even after the owners come home, but he didn't kill them, just left them to die." Kate talks to herself while sitting on the edge of her desk. Then her cell phone vibrated.

Looking at it, it was a text from Castle. _"How is my wife today? Hot case? Have you had lunch? Luv u X R"_

It got Kate to smile. _"Fine, have a home invasion and no time, Lu K"_

Then her phone vibrated again. _"Seriously! Big or small? I'll feed you. Luv u X R"_

How much should she tell Castle? Telling him much was against the rules, still he was her husband and except for the academy he knew as much as she did. _"5, Left them to die, stay home Lu K"_

Kate got a reply almost instantly. _"How long?"_

That got Kate's attention, he never left off Luv u's before. _"Maybe 6 months at most."_ Kate answers back also leaving off the Luv u's.

It took a minute but her phone vibrated again. _"Sounds familiar, tell 117, and eat SOMETHING! Luv u X R"_

That got Kate to snap her head up. 117 and his mission! _"I have a home invasion. The owners and others were left to die." _Kate types.

"_How long ago?"_ Comes back instantly.

"_6 months maybe less."_ Kate types.

"_If it is Rochefort there will be others before this that you either haven't found or don't know about. He will already have found a new place to be alone in."_

That also got Kate to snap her head up and stare at nothing. "Espo, find out if this has happened in other areas. Maybe there are others that are out of our jurisdiction."

Like the FBI and CIA, the various precincts didn't always get along.

Kate went back to staring at her murder board. He was alone, didn't kill them outright because they were not worth it, but was more than willing to let them die. He lived off of the house because he had no place else to go. It really did sound like Rochefort. Likely had his target picked by now.

"Delivery for Castle." Someone called out. There were 2 uniforms, one holding a platter of mini-subs while the other had a box with chips and bottles of water inside it.

"I didn't order anything." Kate calls out as they drop it all on her desk. Right in front of her name plate that said Castle.

"It has the name Castle written all over it, so it's yours." The two uniforms leave and go back downstairs.

Kate pulls out her phone and sends a text. _"Is this u Castle?"_

It only took a moment before her phone vibrated. _"I promised! Now eat something. Luv u X R"_

It had Kate grinning wide. "Hey guys lunch is here." Kate offered Ryan and Espo since there were 4 bottles of water. Then Kate picked up her desk phone. "Hi Lanie, there is free lunch at my desk if you are interested."

Kate pulled the phone away from her ear. Lanie had never hung up on her before.

It was only a minute later when Lanie came striding off the elevator headed straight for Kate's desk. "I knew there was a bonus to you making detective and being married to Castle." Lanie grabs a mini-sub and pulls out the one remaining water.

While they were eating. "Anything on the Lehman's yet." Kate asked looking at Lanie.

"All of them are a mess, this is going to take time. If their ID hadn't been on them I wouldn't even know who they are. Still it's going to take dental records on them to make sure. No chance of finger prints on any of them." Lanie is forced to tell them.

"Can you reach out to the other ME's in the other precincts. I want to find out if this was a single event." Kate asks of Lanie.

"You think there are more?" Lanie wasn't really shocked, just didn't like the thought of more people suffering in the same manner.

"I want to rule out a cereal home invader who has done this before. Because if he has, then that likely means he has already found a new place. And maybe those people aren't dead yet." Kate explains.

"I'll finish as fast as I can. You still have the next two days off?" Lanie changes topics.

"Until Captain Montgomery tells me different. Not that I want to stop working this case. We need to find this guy. These two days may mean the difference between finding the next family alive or not." Kate didn't want the two days off. This case was too important.

"It only takes about a week without food Kate. If he has moved on to the next house, likely they aren't home yet." Lanie points out.

That thought made Kate feel better. The Lehman's had been gone a month before returning home to their worst nightmare. Maybe she had at least a couple of weeks before it was too late.

Ryan and Espo were done and had moved back to their desks and were back on the phones. "Now for the more important question. What is Rick up to?" Lanie reminds Kate.

Kate had forgotten about that. This case had her distracted from Castle and his secret.


	47. Chapter 47

**CH47**

Kate searched out Rick first thing after she got home. Ok, technically it was the second thing since Alexis was waiting for her at the top of the ramp like always.

Kate carried Alexis into the boat in search of Castle, finding him in his office with his laptop in his lap.

"You're writing?" Kate was momentarily distracted, since she wanted to know what his next book was about.

However Rick shook his head. "I'm just jotting down some ideas and seeing if I like any of them."

"Castle, you need to come up with something. You shouldn't have killed him off until you knew what to do next." Kate was mildly mad at him over all of it.

"Not to worry, I'll think of something, I always do." Rick wasn't ready to push the panic button just yet. Besides after the Gina debacle his contract with Black Pawn was a lot more in his favor this time, so he had time still.

Kate wasn't convinced but she came in here for another purpose. "Ok Castle, talk. What do you have planned for tomorrow? … You've even invited Lanie into this so it must be big, so talk." Kate wanted to know.

"And spoil the surprise? Not a chance Kate. You and Lanie are just going to have to wait." Rick was holding firm.

"Castle I have my ways of making you talk." Kate warns him. She hated surprises.

"Punch my arm all you want, I'm not talking." Rick held firm again.

"I have other methods Castle, don't force me to use them." Kate counters.

"Not going to work Kate, and that method will hurt you just as much." Rick was guessing what she was talking about.

Kate groaned, Castle was right. She couldn't keep her hands off him anymore than he could her. DAMN! Kate cursed internally. "I will make you talk Castle, mark my words." Watching Rick only smile at her.

"Come on pumpkin, let's go start dinner since your father has decided not to." Kate turns and walks away with Alexis still in her arms. "Maybe we can put something in your father's food." Kate says just loud enough for Rick to hear her.

"That won't work either since I ordered dinner to be delivered." Rick call out behind her.

Kate stops in her tracks and growls and ends up plopped on the sofa with Alexis still in her arms. "Your father is being a child pumpkin."

"Secrets are secrets mom." Alexis didn't know what it was about, but secrets were secret.

"You too?" Kate looked hurt. "You know what he is up to don't you?" Kate suddenly had an idea.

Alexis however shook her head. "Talk pumpkin." Kate now had a suspect, just how do you interrogate a 5 year old?

Alexis however remained silent. So Kate started tickling her.

Laugh, laugh with a squirming Alexis in her lap trying to get away. "Talk pumpkin, you know don't you?"

Alexis however shook her head, so Kate went back to tickling her. "What is your father planning pumpkin?"

Alexis shook her head. "You really don't know, do you?" And watched Alexis shake her head again. Getting Kate to moan. "I guess we wait until tomorrow then."

Dinner turned out to be Aura Thai

462 Ninth Avenue, (between West 35th & 36th Street), New York, NY

It's kinda small and only has seating for 22 people but it is well known by locals and if you eat there you definitely need reservations. It is that popular.

Kate had learned to love this place, so now she knew Castle was up to something really big even though they did offer fast free delivery. Knowing Castle would tip generously anyway.

Gang Kiew (green curry noodle soup), Pad Kee Mao (Drunkman noodles), Green Curry with Duck, and Thai Pumpkin Custard for dessert. Rick had ordered 2 each of the noodle soups and 3 deserts. It allowed each of them to taste everything.

Rick had tucked Alexis into bed and entered their bedroom to find Kate standing naked in front of the mirror yet again. She had done this a lot since Rick had first asked her if she saw what he did.

Rick slid in right behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "You're not going to tell me, are you?" Kate talks to his image in the mirror, holding his hands in hers that were on her midsection.

"I know you hate surprises Kate, but you'll like this one." Rick kisses her bare shoulder.

Kate spins in place and keeps her hands close so they are on his chest. "So is this secret here are do we have to go someplace?" Kate tries. Only to see Rick grin at her, with a 'nice try' written all over his face.

"Fine, keep your secret. Maybe I won't go wherever this place is." Kate guesses. Only to have Rick kiss her. Kate can feel his tongue glide along her lower lip and she opens them to allow him entrance, and is soon kissing him back searching his mouth too.

Kate breaks from the kiss. "Too many clothes." Kate starts working on his buttons.

Kate was smiling come morning as she went upstairs to start breakfast. Castle was in the shower after 2 rounds of making love to each other. On top of the 3 rounds the night before.

Rick slid in behind Kate and wrapped his arms around her. "Alexis is getting dressed with what I chose for her after her morning bath I gave her. You need to cook for 4 however. Lanie should be here soon." Rick announces.

"So why is Lanie included in this secret of yours?" Kate was curious.

"Because I want her opinion too. She's both of our friends and another opinion would be nice." Rick explains.

"So we're going somewhere?" Kate tries again.

"Nice try detective, but I'm not talking without my lawyer being present." Rick counters.

Getting Kate to curse softly to herself. "You invited my parents too?" They were lawyers.

Rick suddenly let go of Kate. "That's an excellent idea. Be right back." And Rick heads downstairs to take his phone off the charger.

Rick scrolls thru his list till he gets what he wants and presses send. "Hi Johanna, I have a big secret I'm springing on Kate today and wondered if you two were free all day today to join me in it. …. Yes I know Kate hates surprises, well aware. …. No I'm not telling you either. Just that it is big and you two will likely be interested. … Yes it will take all day. We leave with Lanie in about an hour. Can you get here fast enough or should we stop and pick you up? …. Yes you'll need to drive. I'll pay for gas and the food. …. GREAT! We'll leave after you get here." Rick was suddenly happy with himself even more than he already was.

Back upstairs. "Your parents will be here in about an hour." Rick announces.

Now Kate was really glaring at him. What was he up to?

"**CASTLE!"** Lanie yelled out, having Rick poke his head out. "Come on up Lanie."

Lanie is in the kitchen eating while Rick and Alexis were already done with Rick in his office printing out what he wanted. "So what has he told you?" Lanie was dying to know.

"Nothing, I've tried everything I can think of." Kate confides.

"And since you are glowing, I know that wasn't what you threatened him without." Lanie points out the obvious.

Kate immediately starts blushing. "Since the first time I've never been able to keep my hands to myself. It would hurt me just as much as him if I did. … Whatever it is, he's dragged my parents into it. They will be here soon."

"WOW, me and your parents. This must be huge. You sure this is his secret? You're not pregnant are you?" Lanie was wondering if this was a setup with Rick taking the pressure.

"NO, I'm not pregnant. Not just yet." Kate hadn't thought about it since her initial plan and timing. Maybe it was time to think about that again.

"HELLO?" A new voice called out.

"IN HERE MOM!" Kate yelled out.

"Hi Lanie." Johanna tells her waking into the kitchen with Jim right behind her. "He's sucked you into this secret of his too?"

"Yeah, give Rick a chance and he'll suck half the city into his secret." Lanie exaggerates, but it gets the point across.

"Hi Jim, Johanna. Everyone ready to go?" Rick asks them.

"So we are going somewhere after all Castle." Kate points out.

"You can follow me Jim, but just in case here is the address." Rick hands over a sheet of paper that has only the address on it.

"1341 Flying Point Road, Water Mill South, NY." Jim read off the address. "Where is Water Mill South, NY?" Jim had never heard of it.

"That's the surprise." Rick arches his eyebrows a couple of times. And Rick picks up Alexis and heads for the car.

"Oh great! We're all following a 12 year old who knows how to drive." Kate moans, thinking this surprise had just gotten worse.

They were soon headed East on I-496E. The GPS in the BMW said just a fraction over 2 hours. Everyone settled in for the wait.

"Know where we're going Jim?" Johanna could still see Rick's car right in front of them. It was an Interstate, not many turns to lose them with.

"The only thing I've noticed is that the distance between us and the Hamptons keeps getting smaller and smaller." Jim answers, which got Johanna to pay more attention to the signs.

"Castle?" Kate asks as Rick gets off the Interstate. However Rick remained silent.

When they reached the address, or so their GPS told them Kate was looking out the window. "Who lives here Castle?" Who were they going to meet?

Rick gets out and meets a heavy set blond haired down to her shoulders woman. "Hi Lynda, hope we're not late." Rick calls out as everyone exits their cars.

"Not at all Mr. Castle, I've only been here a few minutes myself." Lynda had been here like 10 minutes.

"This is my wife Kate, our daughter Alexis, my wife's parents Jim and Johanna, and our friend Lanie." Rick introduces everyone.

"It's a pleasure, I'm sure you'll love it. Here is the listing for you to look over. The house is unlocked, I'll let you wonder through and catch up with you shortly." Lynda hands out an 8-1/2 x 11 for everyone, even Alexis.

"Listing?" Lanie finds her voice first.

Rick lets Kate enter first. The house was empty except for the furniture used for staging purposes.

"**WOW!"** Came from Kate the minute she entered the second floor and immediately walked for the wall of windows looking out onto the ocean in front of her.

Everyone else had heads on a swivel. Exposed beams, vaulted ceilings, wood everywhere. Floors, walls, ceiling, kitchen cabinets.

Bedrooms were all on the first floor with living, dining and kitchen on the upper floor with a large deck out back.

Kate opened the doors and stepped out on the deck and could feel, smell and almost taste the ocean. **"WOW!"** Kate turned to find everyone still inside. Kate needed answers.

Kate stepped back inside. "Castle, who lives here?"

"Us if you like it, it's up for sale. There are 3 more Lynda is going to show us today." Rick was smiling wondering what she was thinking.

Kate twisted to look back out the open door she had left open. "Castle?"

Rick stepped up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. "You've had it tough Kate, and you've decided to take on an equally tough job. Combined with my shooting, you've had nothing but stress. I wanted someplace we could go to de-stress, even for a weekend. It's only a two hour drive.

This one has 4 bedrooms downstairs, plenty of space for your parents, mine or Lanie. Even space for more children." Rick points out.

Kate started only now to look around. All the wood, fireplace, and the views. And it was sitting right on the beach, she could almost reach out and touch it. "Castle?" Rick spun her in place.

Now he could see Kate's tears. "If you don't like the idea, we can go home and skip the others." Rick had wanted it to be a good surprise, but it was looking like a bad surprise.

"NO, no, it's not that." Kate looks around. "It's gorgeous Castle." Kate turned to look out at the ocean view again.

"They all have ocean views Kate. Not all are right on the beach like this one." Rick offers.

Kate wipes her tears away. "Let's see it then Castle." It got Rick to smile.

Lynda made her way inside. "What do you think?" She looks at all of them, but mostly Rick and Kate.

"It's gorgeous." Kate comments.

"The master bedroom and attached bath is amazing. The other bedrooms are rather plain and the kitchen is a little small." Johanna comments.

"I like the ceilings and the fireplace though." Lanie puts in her 2 cents.

"It looks way different than your boat Katie." Jim adds.

"You live on a boat?" Lynda didn't know that.

"It's a 1907 Ellis Island Ferry converted to a single family residence in New York Harbor." Rick explains.

Lynda's eyes go wide and is seriously impressed, but remains silent. Maybe she can get Rick to send her some pictures.

"Shall we move on to the next house?" Lynda asks, knowing they needed to see more than one house.

241 Marine Boulevard, Amagansett, NY.

"There is nothing but grassy dunes all around it. And an elevator? Seriously? No Castle, just plain no."

317 Noyac Road, Southampton

"It's HUGE Castle, we don't have a boat, and there is no beach. And the pool is out in the middle of the backyard all alone." Kate liked the idea of a pool, but just not his one. Plus it was rectangular in shape. Completely unappealing.

Quogue

"It has nothing but flat ceilings, no pool and it's not sitting right on the beach." Kate shot it down too.

"Do we move inland off of the beach?" Rick offers.

"No, I want a beach. …. Are you sure about this Castle?" Kate needed convincing.

What they had been looking at weren't homes, they were mansions almost. The only one close to manageable was the first one.

"I thought it was a good idea. You're not going to find a place like this in downtown New York. It's noisy, busy, crowded, sometimes stinky and the greatest city in the US.

Out here is quiet, fresh air, not remotely crowded. We can take long walks on the beach. Shoot off fireworks on the beach. Have beach campfires maybe and just relax. The exact opposite of where we are now." Rick tries to sell it.

Kate pulls out the flyer for the first one. "It's 14 million dollars Castle." Kate couldn't get past the cost. The first one was nice, but the cost!

"We have the money Kate, price isn't an option, much. There are more costly homes but they only get bigger not necessarily better." Rick points out.

"We have 14 million dollars?" Kate had left the money Castle made to him and hadn't involved herself in it. Maybe that was a mistake.

"We're not buying it using all cash, I want to keep a good sized amount for a rainy day fund, but yes, we have 14 million dollars. More than that technically." Rick tells her.

"MOM?" Kate turned to look at her parents and Lanie who were maintaining a respectable distance.

"That first house was lovely Katie, if you like all that wood. Right on the beach, lots of windows with amazing beach and ocean views. You've only seen 4, you can keep looking." Johanna offers.

Kate didn't ask her but Rick had invited her. "It was the only one you said WOW at when you entered. The first thing you did was go outside to look at the view." Lanie adds her 2 cents.

"The bedrooms except for the master could use some work and the kitchen is smaller than the one you have now, but if you only stay there a weekend or maybe holidays, how big does it need to be?" Johanna adds.

"The furniture was OK." Kate adds.

"Pretty sure it comes un-furnished, which might be for the best. We can get what we want and have the spare bedrooms remodeled a little." Rick tells Kate.

"Does it have to be 14 million?" Kate still has a problem with the money. He wanted to get them a house that was worth more than she would make in a lifetime.

"That's where Lynda comes in. She works for us and will help us offer what the house is worth, and not a penny more." Rick explains.

"We've only seen 4 Castle and only one of them do I like, but do I want to spend 14 million? You're not even writing Castle." This plan of his, while nice, had her worried. She was betting her paycheck wouldn't even cover the insurance payment.

"I'll always write Kate, it's who I am. I just need to feel the right inspiration about what to write. When I moved out here from LA, I took a chance on the boat and the car. If the first Derek Storm didn't make it into the top 10 best sellers list I would be in trouble. But it did, and so have all the others that followed. It'll work out Kate. So? … The first house, or do we see more?" Rick asks her.

It was 14 million! "More Castle, I think we need to see lots more." Kate finally responds. Besides it gave her time to think about this and not make a spontaneous decision, today.

"I'll tell Lynda and we come back tomorrow to look at more." Rick tells her, and they all head home.

Johanna got called into the office and Lanie had to go into work since she was on call, so it was just Rick, Kate and Alexis the following day.

318 Mitchell's Lane, Bridgehampton, NY

"Way, way too big Castle. It was 14,000 square feet, and it didn't have a pool or a beach." Kate shot it down.

5 Bay View Drive North, Sag Harbor, NY

"That one was nice Castle, really nice. It had a pool, a beach and a deep water dock. Maybe bigger than we need and only the bedrooms had vaulted ceilings." Kate liked it.

"Keep it on the list?" Rick asks, watching Kate nod her head.

18 Duck Point Road, Remsenburg, NY

"**WOW!"** It's gorgeous Castle." Kate was only just getting out of the car.

Kate was going "WOW!" on the inside too. It was at the very end of a peninsula. Instead of a beach it had a sea wall with water views on three sides and it had a pool. Plus it only cost $10 million instead of $14 million.

It did however have a boat dock off to one side.

"What do you think pumpkin? It doesn't have a beach so no swimming in the ocean or building sand castles, but it does have a pool. Plus your bedroom is huge!" Her bedroom was at least twice the size of what she has now. But then so was the master suite.

"Maybe just one more Castle." Kate didn't know if that would make the choice easier or harder.

It was harder!

4 Little Ram Island Drive, Shelter Island, NY

Shelter Island  
>$8,950,000<br>beds: 4  
>baths: 5.5<br>est. 4,784 sq. ft.  
>est. 1.50 acres<br>bayfront-harborfront  
>traditional<br>CAC  
>heat: gas<br>heated pool  
>tennis: no<p>

The living room had one wall of windows filled with french doors and the ceiling was really tall and truly unique in design. The house was a mix of hardwood and tile floors. The view was limited, and while it had only the one deck, it was bigger. The pool was nice but not as nice.

It also had a boat dock, but it did have a skinny beach, but the beach wasn't really impressive.

"I don't know Castle, it's less expensive but, …." Kate was conflicted.

This one and the other were now at the top of her list. "Call your parents, describe both of them, maybe they will have some incite to offer." Rick offered her an option.

Kate pulled out her phone and called her mother. "Hi mom, got a few minutes?" Kate went through both houses as best she could without sending pictures.

"It's going to be your house honey. This is for your family. Which one had you going WOW like the first one you entered yesterday?" Johanna offered the only advice she could think of. Actually seeing it would be better.

"Thanks mom." It gave Kate just the push she needed.

**18 Duck Point Road - Remsenburg, New York**

Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. Classic, graciously well-appointed and one-of-a-kind...these are just a few of the adjectives that describe this magnificent waterfront estate located on 1.3 private acres at scenic Duck Point in Remsenburg. Positioned to take advantage of water views from every angle, you'll enjoy panoramic sunrises and sunsets from this completely bulk-headed property. Designed by well-known Hamptons architect Nick Vero and solidly built by George Vickers in 2006, the Hamptons Shingle-style home offers 6,000 sq. ft. of living space, 5 spacious bedrooms (each with private deck) and 6 1/2 baths. The first floor boasts a unique heptagon (7-sided) living room with fireplace, formal dining room, den with deck, screened porch, and white marble chef's kitchen with center island, Thermador appliances and butler's pantry with dumbwaiter. Upstairs you'll have peaceful dreams in the Master Suite boasting a fireplace, private deck with spectacular water views, and huge master bath with steam shower. In addition there are 4 guest bedrooms, each with their own private deck, and a 3rd floor deck for 360-degree water views. The property-elevated 20 feet above sea level-also has a sizable boat dock. It also offers an oversized gunite pool with spa, outdoor shower, and terraced gardens. Duck Point...the perfect Hamptons address.

"You better start writing Castle." Kate warns him or they were going to be in big trouble.

"Have I mentioned how much I love you Rick?" Kate loved him for this. It was an amazing place to get away from New York City even for a weekend.


	48. Chapter 48

**CH48**

The house came furnished as seen and Kate left it to Castle to work out the details. She needed to sit down with him one day soon and go over financials with him. Kate had learned that much.

Kate was sitting at her desk with her computer up and running and looking at her messages. She actually had one from Jordan Shaw updating her on finding Hal Lockwood.

"Sorry Kate, he's a ghost so far. Still looking, I don't give up." Jordan had included a picture of her daughter.

"She's cute." Kate was smiling.

There was also a message from Lanie. She had finished with the last of the autopsies of the Lehman's and Rivera's yesterday.

Captain Montgomery wasn't in so Kate got up and went downstairs to see if Lanie was in yet.

"Hi Lanie, what can you tell me about the Lehman's." Kate found her.

"Hi Kate, how was house hunting yesterday?" Lanie was dying to know.

"We saw several and Castle is working with the realtor today to put an offer in on one we saw yesterday." Kate confides, smiling.

"So talk girl, what's it like?" Lanie stopped doing everything.

"5 bedrooms, 6-1/2 baths, 6,000 square feet, so it is way bigger than I was looking for. It doesn't have a beach, but it does have a nice pool. We need to get some pool things since I didn't see any. Chairs, lounges, tables, umbrellas, that kind of stuff.

Absolutely every bedroom has its own deck and the house sits on the very tip of a peninsula so there are water views on three sides. It has a small boat dock, though I'm not sure Castle is interested in getting a boat. I mean we don't have one now.

It was gorgeous inside Lanie, it comes fully furnished and is nice but you should see the master bedroom. Except for one wall it was all windows. In fact I think the whole house is made of windows, there was so much light in the house." Kate was still smiling. It was way more house then she thought they needed, but they were not likely to be out there all alone every time.

"I'm happy for you girl. This job can be stressful, you need someplace besides the boat to decompress. You'll see." Lanie points out.

"Thanks, …. so about the Lehman's?" Kate got back on topic.

"Oscar and Marjorie Lehman. Death was by dehydration and food starvation. The cord used had cut off circulation to their hands and feet and with decomposition of the body, it had almost severed them from their bodies.

They died slowly and painfully. They died roughly 6 months ago. The decomposition of the bodies makes an exact date difficult. His wallet and her purse were found at the scene. In both cases the cash was gone but their jewelry and credit cards remained.

Rebecca Lehman the daughter. …. She died from the same causes and died in the same manner. She suffered the same condition with her hands and feet as her parents. My guess her parents were already dead when she was added to the room with them." Lanie looked sad to Kate's eyes. "Like her parents her cash was missing but her credit cards were still there.

She died alone Kate lying next to if not on top of her already dead parents. Probably frightened out of her mind and not understanding any of it." Lanie didn't understand any of it.

"And the Rivera's?" Kate wanted her mind off of it too. Problem was she was going to go back upstairs and search for their killer(s).

"They died of the same causes, right down to the bindings. I'd put their deaths as two weeks behind the Lehman's and about one week behind their daughter. Like the Lehman's they were dumped into the room on top of the already dead bodies of the daughter and her parents." Lanie concludes.

If it really was Rochefort, Kate now understood why 117 and his/its previous host wanted him so bad. Not worthy of being murdered but left to die. He had already been here over a year and closer to 2. Was this the first? The second or just the latest of several? And when did he leave? Did this mean someone was going to come home soon and end up the same?

"Thanks Lanie, I need to get back upstairs and find this guy." Kate left Lanie to her work.

Kate had just made it to her desk. "Castle, my office." Roy called.

Kate stepped in. "How's Rick?" Roy asks first.

"He's fine sir, pretty much back to normal." Kate was smiling recalling the frisky fun they had only this morning.

Roy was still amazed. Shot in the chest with a thru and thru. He should be dead or at least still in the hospital. "Glad to hear it. Hope you had fun on your 2 days off, until we find this guy it may be your last 2 days off for a while.

I need you to get caught up with Ryan and Espo. Seems 2 other precincts have found the same problem. One was almost 1-1/2 years ago. We need this guy detective." Roy applies pressure which he was actually only passing along from up higher.

"Yes sir, we'll find him." Kate really wanted him now.

"Get to work detective." Roy dismisses her.

The guys weren't here yet so she went to look at the murder board that had grown since she last saw it.

Two other houses along with a map showing their locations. There seemed to be a progression. It wasn't a straight line, still it looked like one.

Kate read the names. Duprees and Watts. Four dead bodies for the Duprees and three for the Watts. Kate went in search of their files.

Just like the Lehman's. Died of dehydration and food starvation. Bound at the wrists and ankles with their cash missing, food eaten along with take-out boxes, none from the same place. All places were vacant with the owners gone on vacation.

"Damn it! … Now where would you go?" Kate tried dimensioning the distances between the three locations. Similar but was it close enough to guess with? Taking her dimension she drew a circle.

"Hey Castle." Ryan and Espo enter the bullpen. "Hope you enjoyed your vacation."

"Hi guys, and it was fun. You find out where the Lehman's went." Kate asks her first question.

Espo picks up a folder off his desk. "Yeah, they went on a month long cruise. They sailed on Oceania Cruises' Regatta on a 33-day cruise, embarking March 29, from Rio de Janeiro to Miami. Flew from New York to Rio on United then again from Miami to New York.

A call to the cruise line confirms they were on board and United has them checking in and going through the gate." Espo reads off.

"How did they book the cruise?" Was any of this a lead though?

"They went through a travel agency. The travel agency checks out as do their employees." Espo adds.

"How about the other two locations before this one?" Kate asks.

"The Duprees took a 21 day river cruise in Europe. They used a different travel agency and the cruise line confirms they were aboard. They also flew United to get to East Europe and flew home from Amsterdam." Ryan tells her from his folder. Then picks up another folder.

"The Watts went to China for 2 weeks. Three different cities and they stayed in hotels. They used yet a different travel agency and they also flew United. Phone calls to the hotels have them checking in and checking out as scheduled." Ryan concludes.

"Find out how each of the three got to the airport? Taxi, car service of some type, park and fly. And pull their financials, how did they pay for it? Ours had their credit cards still on them but all the cash was missing. We can't trace our guy since he didn't take them and use them, but maybe he knew if they all used the same type of card.

And find out if CSU found a home safe. If they did what was in it and was it opened." Kate adds.

"About that." Ryan picks up a new folder. "CSU found traces of explosive residue as well as traces of gun powder residue at the last two locations. It was found in a tiled floor area so it's hard to say what was there."

Now Kate was confused. "Weapon storage?" Kate was guessing. "So how did he move it and how much? …. Check gun dealers, see if there have been any large thefts in the last 1-1/2 years." Kate gives them something else to do.

Kate goes back to staring at her murder board. "He didn't kill them with his weapons, he left them to die. So how many does he have and how is he moving them?" Kate looked at her circle. Only a portion of it was in her jurisdiction, the rest was in the 54th who likely didn't know anything about this.

It was past lunch when Kate's phone vibrated while she was adding information to her board.

"_Offered 9 million on the house, response in 24 hours, how are you doing? Luv u X R"_

Kate smiled. _"Fine, he's done it twice more, how is Alexis? Lu K"_

Kate's phone vibrated almost instantly. _"Deflection means you're not eating, I will hand feed you! X R"_

Kate smiled again. Castle knew her too well. _"No time, I'm fine. Luv u X K"_

Kate's phone didn't vibrate so she went back to her board. 30 minutes later. "Delivery for Castle." And Kate turns to watch a uniform drop 3 large pizza boxes on her desk.

Kate steps over to Roy's office and knocks. "Pizza for lunch sir, compliments of my husband." And Kate moves to tell Ryan and Espo too.

Kate, Espo and Ryan are sitting around eating pizza when Roy comes out and joins them. "I could learn to like having you around Castle." Roy teases as he grabs a piece and sits down with them.

Kate offers a slice to everyone who passes by.

Roy takes another piece and heads back for his office and the guys get back to the phones.

Kate pulls out her cell phone. "_Thanks Castle, luv u X K"_

Her phone vibrated almost immediately. _"I promised, lu R"_

It got Kate to smile wide. The promise he had made to her long ago, all she had to do was let him.

**It was 2 weeks later now:**

They hadn't found Rochefort, not that Kate was sure it was him. He was surely in a new house by now, they just didn't know where.

The travel agencies had been very helpful but had in turn not been of any help. All three had used Credit cards to purchase their trips and their financials showed they had used their cards while on vacation.

They had each used a different car service to get to the airport. Only 2 of them had a home safe. After getting a warrant to have it cut open, they found some jewelry in one along with some cash. The other had cash and a hand gun. Neither looked to have been found or opened.

He stayed there and ate there but nothing more.

It had taken the owner 24 hours to respond. Castles offer had been 9 million with 5% of the closing costs, home inspection, financial acceptance and 45 day move in.

They had countered with 9.5 million, no closing costs and 30 days.

Castle had countered with 9.2 million and 5% closing costs, home inspection, financial acceptance and 30 days.

They countered with the same thing as last time. Rick rejected it and made no new offers.

Twelve days later they responded out of the blue and accepted his offer. Now Rick, Kate and Alexis were driving out to do the home inspection. It had been 2 weeks since Kate had gotten a day off.

They met the home inspector and their real estate agent at the site. It took almost 5 hours to go through the house. At the end Rick had information and would have a written report sent to him in 2 days.

The house was built in 2006 so it was only about 1 year old, however the inspector found some damage to the roof from an earlier storm that had been repaired improperly. It shouldn't have even passed inspection by the city, if it even had a permit.

The improper repair had caused damage inside the building in three separate spaces. Except for that the house was sound. Lynda, the real estate agent promised to look into if the work had a permit and suggested Rick get 3 estimates to have the roof repaired. And another 3 estimates to have the interior repaired.

They would then use these estimates to lower their price to the owner or have them repair the items.

"Was it this much trouble when you bought the boat Castle?" Kate asked him.

"There were a few problems, but it was an old boat so more was expected. Not this for a one year old house." Rick answers her question.

"Now what?" Kate asks since this was new to her.

"You need the estimates Mrs. Castle if the owner refuses to fix the problem. The roofers don't need entrance to the house, however for the interior estimates they will. I can let them in since you are two hours away. It's part of my job, I'm here for you not the owner." Lynda speaks up.

They ended up going home and forced to wait.

"We didn't stay?" Alexis didn't understand.

"No pumpkin, the house isn't ours yet. We have to wait a little longer." Rick has to tell her.

Rick fixed dinner and they ate it up on the roof deck and watched the lights of the city.

"It'll be fine Kate. It was just a bad patch job probably by some fly by night cheap company who barely knows what a roof is. Fix it and the damage inside and it'll be fine." Rick tries to calm her fears.

"And if they don't accept?" Kate was invested in this house now. It had become theirs somehow.

"Then we have a choice. Fix the problem using our money or don't buy it." Rick tells her.

"But it's our house Castle." Kate moans. Only now does Rick understand how into this house Kate has gotten.

Rick wraps an arm around her. "It'll work out Kate, we just need time and a little faith. They came to us, so they want it sold. We're just better at playing hard ball then they are." Rick kisses the side of her head.

"You have work tomorrow?" Rick had an idea if she was and another if she wasn't.

Kate shook her head. "I'm off but I am on call so I have to stay close."

Well that blew up both of Rick's plans.

His plans blew up in the middle of the night actually. "Castle." Kate mumbled into her phone, still asleep having picked up the offending device that took her from sleep. Now it was going to take her from her husband's arms.

"Text me the address and I'll be there in 30." Kate rolled so her feet were on the floor.

"Body drop?" Rick rolled to look her direction.

"Yeah, why can't they kill people during the day?" Kate rubs her face and heads out of the bedroom for the shower.

Kate is dressed and ready to leave when she finds Rick gone from the bedroom only to find him upstairs with cut up fruit and a piece of toast waiting for her.

Kate was smiling. "Thanks Castle." Kate takes it and eats hurriedly since she has little time.

Alexis isn't there this time to see her off and Kate doesn't want it to bother her, but it does. The ride to the site feels empty somehow.

When she gets there they are loading someone into an ambulance, closing the back doors and leaving.

Kate is lead into an empty warehouse. "Hi Lanie, you look bright and chipper. …. Too bright and chipper in fact. … what, …." Lanie interrupts her.

"I'm always bright and chipper Kate, glad you could make it." Lanie needed for Kate to stop.

"Was that our vic, who isn't dead. So why am I, …. correction why are we here?" Kate notices Ryan and Espo arrive together. Kate's requests had finally gotten them one whole car. It was even older than her antique, but at least it was running.

"Yeah, that was one Vulcan Simmons." Lanie tells her.

"I think I've heard that name somewhere." Kate can't place it.

"You should, Vulcan Simmons. **Vulcan Simmons** was a criminal who ran the drug trade in Washington Heights at least twelve years. Simmons has multiple charges on his record, but has had regularly managed to get off them, having spent the last couple of years without any convictions after becoming smart enough to avoid attracting attention to himself." Ryan offers up.

"O-kay, so why is he in an ambulance leaving from this, … charming location." Kate looks around. Kate didn't see much dust and she did smell a lot of grease and oil.

"He was found unconscious. Preliminary look of him showed his finger nails had been removed one at a time. All ten of them. His left ear had been cut off and 8 of his toes had been cut off. All he had left were his big toes." Lanie informs them.

"So he was tortured. … Why does it sound familiar? … That guy we found in the basement of the house some time ago." Kate suddenly remembers.

"There are a number of similarities, Simmons has one more injury that he didn't." Lanie had Kate's attention. "Someone had started to cut his, …. family jewels. They started but didn't finish." Lanie tells them, watching Ryan and Espo make faces.

"So he told them what they wanted to hear during that and then left him. …. So who found him? This isn't exactly Times Square." Kate asks.

"They did." Lanie points to an area that Kate hadn't look towards yet. Grinning at what Kate would do next.

Kate turned to look where Lanie pointed. **"ZOMBIES!?"**

It wasn't until almost lunch when Kate and the guys made it back to the precinct.

Kate was alone but Ryan and Espo and their, …. witnesses were going to be right behind her.

Kate hadn't yet made it to her desk. "CASTLE!?" Kate walked up to her desk finding Rick sitting in a chair he had snagged from who knows where, sitting next to her desk.

Rick got up out of his chair and hugged Kate and kissed her forehead. Kate wanted to melt into him, but she was at work. "Castle, what are you doing here?" She was glad to see him, but why here?

"ALEXIS! … Is Alexis alright? What happened to her?" Kate immediately started searching his eyes.

"Alexis is fine Kate, I dropped her off at kindergarten just as planned. You didn't answer my text so I came here. Roy said you were still out on a call." Rick explains.

Kate pulled out her phone and found a message she hadn't seen. _"Alexis missed you this morning. She looks so sad leaving her, first day of school. Luv u X R"_

It tugged at Kate's heart strings, she hadn't gotten to kiss her little girl the morning of her first day of school. "I'm sorry Castle. I must have been in a dead zone." Kate looked up and saw a look of sheer terror on Rick's face.

"Kate get your gun. You have to shoot them in the head. KATE!" Rick started to try and put Kate behind him. "You're going to need a lot of bullets."

"CASTLE, they're fakes. It's just make-up. It's fine they're not real zombies." Kate grabs a hold of Rick.

Then Rick sees two normals in the middle of the zombie hoard. "KATE!?" Those two were going to be turned if Kate didn't start shooting them.

"They're fake Castle. They were out on a zombie walk when they came across our latest case. We brought them all in for questioning." Kate tells him.

Rick can now hear the zombies talking and walking normal even with big leg wounds. "Zombie walk?"

"Yeah, they dress up as zombies then chase a bunch of normals, doing zombie things. When they catch them they have to dress up as zombies next time and take the place of the people who caught them. They do it about once a month before it gets cold." Kate explains.

"Zombie walk?" Rick touches one as Espo takes two of them past him and Kate and into interrogation. "This is soooo cool. **HOW DID I NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS?"**


	49. Chapter 49

**CH49**

Rick followed Kate into one of the interrogation rooms, without being invited. Kate glared at him but didn't say anthing. "I'm detective Castle and this is, ..." Kate was momentarily lost. Castle isn't a detective, he probably shouldn't even be in here. But she's Castle around here and he's, … "This is Richard."

Kate asked all the important questions. Well the ones she wanted answers to anyway. Rick asked questions about how long have they been doing this? Same place every time? Where did they get the costume? How did they make them? Why is he stoned?

That one got Kate's attention. "You are stoned." Kate noticed it only after Rick had said something.

'WHAT! … No, no." He denied it though he was weaving all over his chair about ready to fall out of it.

**Scopolamine, **otherwise known as the "Zombie Drug".

"Castle, you really should go home." Kate was the detective, Castle was the writer. He should be home writing. Especially if they were going to be buying a $10 million dollar home in the Hamptons.

"Oh come on Kate. I asked good questions." Rick defended himself. Kate however glares at him with, 'how is anything you asked relevant?'

"We know they didn't use that site every time. In fact this was their first time. So your almost dead guy was expecting to be alone. "And I was the one who noticed he was stoned." Rick points out.

"And how is him being stoned relevant?" Kate counters.

"Maybe the guy who did this was part of this Zombie Walk as a way to find him without him getting all defensive. 117 said he was missing an eye. Very zombie like." Rick points out.

Suddenly Kate was impressed. Kate got up and stopped at the door. "Espo! Find out if any of these zombie walkers are missing from this month's walk." Kate yells out. "Ryan, find out where they get this zombie drug." Then turns on Castle. "Now go home Castle."

Rick looks at his watch. "It's lunch Kate, come to lunch with me."

Kate deflates, she would like to but, …. "I can't Castle, we have to interview all these zombies." Kate tells him not paying attention to what she just said.

Rick looks dejected. "Fine." And Rick gets up and walks away.

"I'm sorry Castle." It hurt seeing the look on his face, he was hurt, and she was the cause. Kate turns to interview more of the zombies, not seeing Rick pull out his phone while walking.

Kate was getting tired. These zombies hadn't seen anything. At least they only had a few more to interview, when Rick shows up carrying a big box of Chinese food. "You guys hungry?" Rick drops it on Kate's desk.

Kate spins around. "Castle?" Surprised he was still here or back again.

"I brought Pork Fried Rice, General Tso's Chicken, Hunan Chicken and Shrimp, Beef and Broccoli and some spring rolls. You have a soda machine, right?" Rick looked happy.

Kate stepped up to Rick. "Castle?" Kate wanted to be put out with him, but she was too happy to see the sad face she saw him with last, gone. "Thanks Castle." Kate kissed his cheek and grabbed the chicken and shrimp container.

It only took the guys a few minutes to finish with the last two zombies, and then they joined them.

"Soooo, zombies huh?" Rick was still excited.

"They're just guys dressed up in costumes doing stupid things Castle." Espo speaks up, then thinks about it. "I meant Castle, not Castle. I mean that Castle not you Castle." Espo shuts up and goes back to eating before he digs his hole any deeper.

Kate just smiled at his predicament and kept eating.

"So, anything on that Scopolamine?" Rick asks while eating.

"The zombies that would talk all said they got it from one Tom Williams. We need to look him up when we're done." Kate answers his question.

"Drug dealer. … Wasn't the guy we found a drug dealer?" Espo asks.

"Did he deal in this drug?" Rick asks.

"We need to dig into Vulcan Simmons too." Kate adds his name to the list.

"You mean like Spock from Vulcan? He's an alien?" Rick's grin only got bigger.

"No Castle, he's human. And almost dead and in a hospital." Kate points out. Then suddenly sits up straight and grabs her desk phone and orders a uniform placed on his door at the hospital.

"He may come back to finish the job or someone will send someone to finish the job. I need to go interview him about what happened." Kate drops her food and pulls out her weapon. Making sure she had her badge and cuffs.

"Where are you going Castle?" Kate notices Rick following her.

"I'm going with you." Rick states like it was a fact. Then seeing the face Kate makes. "Come on Kate. … It's got ZOMBIES!" Rick pleads.

"Ok fine Castle, but you stay behind me. I don't need you getting shot again." Kate relents against her better judgment.

"YES!" Rick pumps his arm.

Rick is sitting in the passenger seat of Kate's car. Since she isn't a senior detective so the car has to stay at the station, forcing her to keep riding her bike into work.

Rick flips a switch and the lights come on. Getting Kate to turn them right back off again.

Then Rick flips another switch and the siren turns on. Getting Kate to turn I right back off again.

Rick reaches for another switch. "That's the seat ejection switch on your side, and if you don't keep your hands to yourself I'm going to use it." Kate threatens him.

Rick keeps his hands to himself for a few minutes then reaches for the glove box to open it. "CASTLE?" Kate reaches for the supposed ejector switch. It did however get Rick to sit quietly for the rest of the trip.

Kate parks the car and is still shaking her head over her husband. He never did this in their car, but then that was their car not her car.

Inside they find Vulcan Simmons is in ICU with a uniformed officer outside his door. Only Kate got to go inside since she was the only one with police ID.

Inside she finds Vulcan Simmons all hooked up just like Rick was and it suddenly makes her uncomfortable. She also finds a nurse looking him over. Kate flashed her badge and introduces herself.

"He's unconscious detective, and should be that way for at least 24 hours, probably longer. His injuries are severe. Even when he does wake up it will likely be only for a few seconds. It will be days before he is stable enough to answer any questions." The nurse tells him.

"So he'll live." Kate needs to hear it.

"Yeah, he'll survive his injuries. He is however never likely to walk again with only the big toe on his feet, and lots of physical therapy to regain control of his hands. As for his mind, …." The nurse trails off. He was going to likely need help there too.

Rick had moved over to the nurse's station and was looking around. Next time he had a scene in an ICU he wanted to see everything.

Rick was just looking around when he saw someone, which his mind quickly popped up a picture of him on Kate's murder board. He was in a hospital outfit, but it was his face.

"**KATE!"** And Rick started running for him. Rick was quickly noticed and the man soon stopped and looked around. "LOCKWOOD!" Rick whispered between his teeth.

Kate had heard Rick yell her name and came charging out of the room, only to see Rick chasing down some guy in a hospital outfit. "Guard him, no one gets in and she doesn't get out." And Kate takes off running after her husband. "POLICE, MAKE A HOLE!"

Kate lost them after going through a door. Kate pulls out her badge. "WHERE?" And gets two people just getting up off the floor to point. And Kate is off running again. "Come on 117, faster." Kate whispers out.

Kate charges through another door and sees no one but does see a door closing in the distance, and takes off running again. "Faster, faster." Her husband needed her, she wasn't losing him or almost losing him again.

Kate burst through the door and came face to face with Castle pointing a gun at her that had a silencer on it, while the guy Rick was chasing was lying on the stairwell floor. "Kate!" Rick deflated and lowered his weapon.

Kate stepped up to her husband. "Look familiar?" Rick looks down at the guy on the ground.

"Hal Lockwood." Kate is grinning and pulls out her cuffs and has one hand in them when a shot ricochets just above her head with a loud bang that hurts all their ears.

Rick spins and fires off three quick shots on his borrowed gun with the silencer and sees the guy run down the stairs. "Cuff him to the railing." Rick calls out and takes off after the guy who shot at them.

Rick hears the door open but also sees blood on the wall and the door. "I hit him! Take the front door." Rick yells behind him as he prevents the door from closing and starts charging down the hallway, Watching people jump out of the way.

Kate secures Lockwood to the railing and starts running down the stairs all the way to the ground floor and then starts running down the hallway. "POLICE, MAKE A HOLE!" Kate yells out.

Kate can hear a pair of loud gunshots somewhere in front of her. "CASTLE!" Kate calls out. Then whispers. "Faster, ... faster."

Just in front of her she can see a guy who was bleeding from a shoulder wound run across in front of her, right to left headed for the front doors.

Kate rounds the corner and charges out the doors that were still open thanks to him and watches him jump into the passenger seat of a car that was waiting for him.

Kate stops and pulls out her weapon "NYPD, STOP!" Only to see him take a random quick shot at her and then pull the car door closed.

Kate immediately starts to empty her weapon into the car. Watching the rear glass explode. Other rounds hit the trunk area as the car started to drive away.

Just as Kate empties her last round into the car, Rick steps up next to her and empties his borrowed gun into the car. They both watch the car crash into a light pole and then they both take off running.

Rick takes the passenger door while Kate takes the driver's side. "I'm empty." Rick is forced to tell her.

Kate ejects her spent clip and slaps in a new one and pulls the slide back. "I'm not."

Rick opens the passenger door pointing his empty weapon inside, only to see the passenger hunched over. Bleeding from his shot to the shoulder and blood on his head, where he had slammed into the windshield, which was cracked.

Kate pulled open the driver's side to see a guy with two gunshot wounds, one to each shoulder. The air bag had deployed and was now deflated.

Rick pulled his guy out of the car and let him fall to the ground and saw his gun on the floor inside the car. Deciding he wasn't going anywhere. "I've got mine." Rick tells Kate.

"Mine is unconscious, still strapped into the seat. We may need to use the jaws to get him out. Looks like the dashboard may have broken both his legs when it was pushed in." Kate tells him.

"Lockwood?" Rick asks.

"Unless the stair railing is removed he's not going anywhere." Kate puts her weapon away and pulls out her phone to call this in.

It only takes a couple of minutes before 3 police cruisers show up to watch over the car to wait for a fire truck to show up to pry the driver out of the car.

About 5 minutes later 3 more police cruiser show up to tape off the area, including the front entrance area.

It takes half an hour for CSU to show up and process the first two sites. Right behind them are Ryan and Espo. "You'll find Hal Lockwood cuffed to the stairwell on the second floor on the far end." Kate points.

"We'll get him." Ryan and Espo take off that direction.

They bring out gurneys to take away these two from the car. "SIMMONS!" Kate tells herself and takes off running with Rick right behind her. Except he is losing ground little by little.

By the time Rick catches up Kate is already talking to the uniform on the front door and then watches her go inside. A minute later a really mad nurse comes charging out.

Kate steps out a minute later. "He's fine." Kate tells Rick, then turns to the uniform. "Do not leave this door until you are relieved and check everyone who tries to get in. Someone has already tried to kill him."

"Yes ma'am." The uniform stands up straighter.

Kate starts walking down the hall. "Thanks Castle." He may have saved Simmons life and maybe her own. "Nice to know all that practice we put in has paid off."

Rick was grinning but didn't comment about it. "You're fast Kate. I was doing my best to keep up but you out ran me easy."

It got Kate to smile. She had been wondering if she was any faster. "You hit that guy in the stairwell too. Your weapons training seems to have paid off too."

"How about we skip finding out if our defense driving training has helped too." Rick offers. Rick figured he had, had enough action for one day. Kate only smiled and nodded her head."Deal."

Rick looked at his watch. "OH CRAP! Alexis gets out of kindergarten in just under an hour. I'll take a taxi to my car and go get her and take her home. I'll come in tomorrow after dropping her off at kindergarten tomorrow so I can give and write up my statement." Rick stops just out front and kisses Kate softly and passionately as he can.

"I'll see you when you get home tonight. I'm guessing our training together session is canceled for tonight." Rick looks into her eyes.

Kate nods her head. "Go get our girl, I may be late getting home tonight. I'll text you if I am. … I love you." Kate kisses him again.

"I love you too. I'll see you later. Maybe a nice foot rub after all that running in heels." Rick smiles at her.

Kate's feet didn't hurt but the adrenalin rush was only just now wearing off as she was starting to feel shaky. "I look forward to it." And gave Rick a quick kiss and watched him grab the first taxi sitting at the hospital waiting.

Kate remained behind until the uniform inside was relieved and a plan in place to relieve him all night long. The crashed car was gone. The guys with Lockwood were long gone. Still more uniforms in the hospital for the two out of the car and a plan in place to replace those uniforms all night long.

Kate made sure that those two have been fingerprinted to be ID'd later. It wasn't until 6:00 pm that Kate made it back to the 4th floor of the precinct.

"Lockwood is in holding and will be all night long, we've got an ID on the other two already. Both of them have been through the system already." Espo tells her.

"Tony Morgan, the guy you had a run in with inside. He's been arrested for assault 3 times. He spent 3 years for the first one. The last two had the charges dropped by the victim in each case." Ryan reads from his folder.

"Ben Ross, the guy waiting in the car out front. He's a driver. Been arrested for car theft 3 times, his driver's license was suspended for a year 6 months ago. The car he was in was reported stolen this morning." Espo reads from his folder.

"Ballistics on all the bullets is still being worked on, should have an answer by morning. CSU report should be ready by then too." Ryan tells her.

"It looks like your husband did good. Took out Lockwood, put at least one round in Tony and then chased him down and emptied his, borrowed, weapon into the same car you did." Espo was smiling. He was impressed what a civilian could do.

"Castle has been through the same weapons training and hand to hand combat training at the FBI as I have. We've been continuing the training upstairs at night and an occasional trip to the weapons range down stairs since I started here as a rookie." Kate explains.

"FBI training! … Nice." Espo and Ryan had new respect for Kate and her husband.

"Pull everything you can on those two. Let's find out how they are related to Lockwood. It looks like Tony was his backup and Ross was the driver. And how are those three related to Simmons. What did he know that they thought he had to be killed for it? Someone tortured him for information, now they want him dead so he doesn't talk to us." Kate gave them both things to do. Then went to her murder board and started adding things.

Kate pulled out her phone. _"Sorry, I'm going to be here late. Kiss Alexis. Luv u X K"_

It took a minute before Kate's phone vibrated. _"Thought as much. Already taken care of. Lu R"_

Kate was still at her board adding items. "Delivery for Castle." Two uniforms show up, one with a platter of mini-subs while the other has a box of chips and bottles of water.

Kate was immediately smiling. "Castle!" Kate was still amazed by him. He takes down the guy who shot him. Puts a round into the guy that almost shot either of them. Ran him down and shot up their car. Picked up their daughter from her first day in kindergarten, AND sends them dinner.

"Dinner you two." Kate calls out and nods her head at her desk. Then goes back to her board.

Kate finally takes a break and sits at her desk and grabs a sandwich and pops open a water.

Roy came up the stairs after overseeing a large robbery case. Roy was captain of the entire precinct. His office happens to be on the homicide floor since that area is typically more important.

"Castle, update on the case." Roy stops at her desk.

"Sandwich sir?" Kate offers, and watches Roy take one and take a bite.

"Simmons is still unconscious. Someone sent Lockwood to kill him. Castle caught him and knocked him out after chasing him down in a stairwell.

Someone else took a shot at us in the stairwell. Castle put a round in his shoulder using Lockwood's weapon that he had picked up.

We both chased him down after securing Lockwood to the stairwell. We shot up his getaway car that had another driver inside. It crashed and we have them in custody in the same hospital as Simmons.

I have uniforms and a schedule on all three while in the hospital. Lockwood is over in lockup." Kate points as she gives him her quick update of her day.

"You mean Rick, your husband, caught Lockwood and shot someone in return fire?" Roy wanted to be clear.

"Yes sir." Was she in trouble?

"If I read correctly you both have had FBI training and did it together." Roy questions.

"Yes sir. We both continue the training by working out together every few days upstairs with an occasional trip downstairs to the gun range." Kate tells him.

"Pity he didn't go to the academy with you." Roy liked what he had heard.

"He's a writer sir. Besides, someone has to stay home with our daughter." Kate points out the flaw in his plan.

"She's 5 now right? Old enough for kindergarten." Roy counters.

"She had her first day of kindergarten today actually sir." Kate corrects him.

"You're not out of here in an hour detective and I'll throw you out myself. It's your daughter's first day of school, so get lost. You only get just so many firsts detective. Try not to miss any more than you have to detective. You'll never get them back." Roy grabs another sandwich and heads for his office.

"That's an order detective. Now get lost." Roy steps into his office and picks up the phone.

Kate pulls out her phone. _"On my way home. Keep Alexis awake. Luv u X K"_

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_Sorry about the errors, The website will not let me save the changes even though it says "Document successfully saved."_


	50. Chapter 50

**CH50**

Kate rode her bike home, however no one met her at the top of the ramp. Kate went downstairs and dropped her stuff in their room and went to Alexis's bedroom and found her inside, asleep.

Kate kneeled down and stroked her hair. "Alexis? …. Pumpkin?" All Kate got was a little movement and a moan. "I'm sorry I missed it pumpkin. I'll make it up to you somehow." Kate kissed her head. "I love you."

Kate moved back to their bedroom and striped down and changed into something comfortable. Seeing the laundry bag full she moved it to the washer and started a load and then went upstairs.

Castle wasn't in the kitchen and there was nothing in the warmer. Not that it mattered she had eaten enough mini-subs, a bag of chips and had practically chugged the bottle of water Castle had sent them. Just one more reason in a long list to love him.

Kate moved on to the living room and still didn't see Castle. So Kate moved to the open doorway to his office. Just as she reached it she could hear the almost rhythmic clicking of the keys on his keyboard.

Looking inside Castle had his laptop in his lap and was madly tapping on his keys. Kate just stood there and watched for a while. She could see different scenes roll across his face as he typed. One second he was smiling, then she thought she heard a chuckle. As she watched something serious must be happening because he looked serious.

He was writing! Kate was afraid to close the door in case the sound of it disrupted his thinking, so she left quietly. Kate sat down on the sofa. "Now what do I do?" Kate couldn't turn on the TV. She couldn't risk the noise. What did that leave?

Kate walked to the stairs and went up to the roof. It was a little cool but not bad. The fruit out on the docks was still available. Well most of it anyway. Kate could see the lights of the city. Nothing was moving in the harbor since it was dark.

She could hear the sound of horns being honked. Most were short blasts, probably waking someone up and drive instead of what they were likely doing IN the car and not paying attention. Others sounded like someone was pissed since they were laying it on thick and heavy.

A little later was a siren. "Hhhmm, sounds like an ambulance. Now we just need a fire truck siren." Kate smiles when it was next. "Hopefully just a bumper to bumper tap."

Kate waited and listened then went all the way downstairs to move her laundry from the washer to the dryer. Kate stopped at Castle's office and listened to him tapping away on his keys.

Kate watched him lean to one side while still madly tapping away at his keys. Then he stuck his tongue out and held it there, trapped between his lips. Kate could almost see the face of little Rickie working on something for school that was so very important to him.

Smiling wide she went back up to the roof deck. This time taking a glass of wine with her.

Kate had no idea what he was writing and likely wouldn't know for months yet. She just knew that she was going to get to read it first before anyone else.

Kate had finished her glass of wine and went down to the kitchen to rinse out her glass and put it in the dishwasher. Finding it full she added a soap pod and turned it on, then went down to fold her laundry after taking it out of the dryer.

Back upstairs she watches Castle type for a while, when suddenly he looked pissed and slammed his finger on the backspace key, erasing what he had just typed. Then went back to madly typing away.

Castle was lost in his mind and Kate felt good about it. Going downstairs to take a shower and slip on a night shirt, Kate went to bed. But she was restless. Castle typing away meant he wasn't down here with his arms wrapped around her.

How was she supposed to get to sleep in a bed all alone?

It took a while but Kate finally made it asleep.

Kate blinked her eyes awake. It was a perfectly good dream and she was wet and hot and ever so close to an orgasm. She was even moaning and squirming all over the bed. GOD IT FELT GOOD!

She was close, ever so close. Kate moved her hands to hold the head that was locked between her legs. Kate ran her fingers through his hair. SO CLOSE.

WAIT! She WAS awake, and Rick's head was held securely between her legs. Kate's moans were becoming more vocal. Please God don't let him stop!

A few moments later she was screaming with her back arched with her butt lifted high off the bed as her orgasm crashed over her. Rick never stopped and she was soon thrashing all over the bed just moments away from her second orgasm.

It was only later after Kate was calmed down while snuggled up close to Rick. "Hhhmmm, I could learn to like waking up in the mornings like that." Kate reached in and kissed Rick's nose.

"You were busy typing last night." Kate snuggled in closer, looking into his eyes. Like she could avoid them or would ever want to.

"I had inspiration and I had to get it all down before I lost it." Rick explains.

"When did you come to bed?" Kate was curious as to how long he stayed up typing. Was the empty bed last night worth it?

"I only just got here. You looked uncomfortable. You were making all these faces and you didn't look happy, so I lifted you shirt and pulled off your panties and tried to make that look go away." Rick explains, leaning in to kiss her lips lightly.

"The bed was empty last night and I didn't enjoy it much. … Wait, you stayed up all night typing? Just how much did you type Castle?" And why wasn't he tired?

"I got six chapters typed out last night." Rick whispers into her lips.

Kate's eyes opened wide. "Six Castle!? That's amazing." Kate used a hand to hold his head in place and kissed him deep, tasting herself on his lips. Then used her tongue to stroke his lips and when he parted them she dove in. Kate loved the taste and smell of them after sex. It was her new addiction.

Then the stupid alarm clock went off , alerting Kate to the fact she needed to get up and get ready to go into work. "Damn it!" Kate moaned. "Remember our place when I get home tonight." Kate gives Rick a quick kiss and rolls out of bed.

Kate makes it upstairs to find Alexis sitting at the bistro table eating a healthy breakfast this time. They must be out of her cereal. "Hi pumpkin." Kate kisses her head and sits next to her. "How was your first day of school?" Kate wanted to hear everything.

Alexis however only says. "Ok." But doesn't look up at Kate.

"Pumpkin I really am sorry I got home late last night. A lot happened yesterday. There were a lot of bad guys out there yesterday. I had to catch them all. If I didn't someone might have gotten hurt.

I'll make it up to you on my next day off. How about a safari at the museum, or maybe big game hunting at the zoo? You can bring your camera and put your best pictures up on your wall." Kate offers.

"Feed the animals?" Alexis started coming out of her funk.

"OF COURSE! How can we go and not feed them? We can spend the entire day there. Stop for lunch, get you a t-shirt with your favorite animal on the front." Kate would gladly buy her one.

Kate finally got a smile out of her. "That's my girl. I love you pumpkin, even if I am late from work sometimes. That's never going to change, even when your brother or sister gets here." It reminded Kate of a topic she needed to talk to Castle about.

This time both Rick and Alexis met Kate at the top of the ramp to see her off. "Bye mom." Alexis was happy again.

"I'll see you in a little while Kate." Rick kisses her cheek.

"You were up all night Castle." How are his eyes even still open?

"I have to come in and give my statement still." Rick points out. Though he also has other ideas.

"Right." Kate had forgotten, being more concerned about his lack of sleep.

Kate waved as she rode off to work.

Kate got off the elevator with her leathers in hand so she could stuff them into a lower drawer of her desk. "Detective Castle." Jordan Shaw greeted her.

"Agent Shaw. What brings you here?" Her and 5 other FBI guys.

"I heard you caught Hal Lockwood. I'm here to take him off your hands." Jordan hands over the paperwork.

"You don't waste time. I haven't even had a chance to talk to him yet." What Kate really wanted to do was beat him to a pulp. Problem was she was a cop.

"I promise to forward anything he tells us. Look on the bright side, Simmons and the other two are all yours." Jordan smiles. "Besides if we keep moving him around, it makes it harder for his attorney to keep up with him." Jordan's smile looked a little more predatory this time.

"Fine, he's all yours. He's in holding." Kate turns for that direction, only to see Lockwood in wrist and ankle cuffs attached by a chain being led away by 3 FBI guys who kept a hold of him. With one on point and another bringing up the rear.

"I promise Kate, he shot your husband." Jordan took her leave and followed her team and went to the airport where an FBI jet was waiting for them.

Ryan and Espo walk in. "I see the FBI was here. What did they want?" They saw them downstairs in the garage.

"They came to collect Lockwood, but left us with the others." Kate tells them, still put out by it all.

"FBI!" Espo growled it out.

"I'm going to the hospital and check on our, guests. Find out what you can on those two and arrange for a new team to take over guarding them. Especially Simmons. Someone wants him dead, which means we need him alive.

First I'm going down to Lanie to see if she has anything. … Oh and find that Williams guy and bring him in." Kate gets back into the elevator.

"Lanie, you're up bright and early." Kate was back in a good mood after Jordan took the guy she wanted most.

"Hi Kate, what's got you so happy?" Lanie was suspicious. It wasn't even 7:00 am yet and Kate sounded more chipper than normal.

"I just am that's all. …. What do you know about Simmons?" Lanie was supposed to check in with the hospital and find out what they knew.

"Vulcan Simmons." Lanie picks up her notes and steps over to Kate. She's about to start reading when she stops and looks at Kate.

"You are happy this morning aren't you? I don't suppose Rick has anything to do with the happiness?" Lanie questions.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Kate feigns innocence.

"Don't give me that girl. You are glowing, and there is only one way to look like that. So when is the next Castle baby?" Lanie knew that glow and knew she was right.

"I need to talk to Castle about that tonight after work actually." Kate really did want to talk to him about it.

"Good, Vulcan Simmons. He's likely to never walk again with only his big toes left to walk on. Every finger on both hands are broken as well as having his fingers nails removed. The hospital has him scheduled to go into surgery to repair the nasty cut that was the start of removing his, ..." Lanie pauses.

"Why the wait? Is it not life threatening?" Give him a few stitches and good as new.

"They need to put him under, it was more than just a little cut. Their blood work on him came back with something weird." Lanie tells her.

"Weird, how weird?" Did that mean he had nanites? Kate instantly rejected that idea.

"He had a massive amount of **Scopolamine **in his blood." Lanie explains.

Kate's mouth falls to the floor and her eyes bugged out. "THE ZOMBIE DRUG?"

"In small doses it can make you look and act stoned. Kind of mind numb. Larger doses if it is based off the person's weight, it is likely to cause the person to answer questions truthfully for the most part.

With the massive amount he has in his blood stream it would leave him susceptible to suggestion." Lanie explains.

Kate had seen it on one or more of the zombies upstairs. "How susceptible?"

"He did pretty much anything he was told to do." Lanie explains.

"He would have answered any question he was asked." Kate talks to herself.

"More than that actually. If he was asked to draw a map of something, he would have done it. If he had been told to put a gun in his mouth and pull the trigger, he was likely to have done it. Especially if he was told it was something else in his hand." Lanie tells her. "And he would have believed it."

"So why send someone to kill him AFTER you have already learned all you wanted to know?" It didn't make sense. "Why not kill him then and there? Not let him get found by the police and THEN send someone to kill him." Kate still didn't get it.

"Unless we are talking about two different groups. He works for one group, got captured and pumped full of **Scopolamine** to tell them all he knows. Then we get him and the group he works for doesn't want us to know, so they have to kill him." Kate tries to reason out.

"So who does he work for and who picked him up? …. I have to get to the hospital." Kate turns to leave. "Thanks Lanie."

Kate made it to the hospital and parked her car. She started off with Simmons. Kate watched the guard hold his hand on his weapon while Kate approached, and checked her ID and badge number and then checked his list. Only then was she allowed into the room.

Kate found Simmons alive and still hooked up to machines and watched his heart beat on one of them. However he was still unconscious.

Kate left Simmons and moved to Ross and got the same treatment from the uniform at his door.

Kate stepped inside and found a male nurse getting ready to inject something into his arm. Ross was lying in bed hooked up to a machine and had an IV in his arm. Both of his shoulders were all wrapped up since he had been shot twice.

"What's that?" Kate asked the nurse with the needle.

"Antibiotics." He answers and starts to push the needle in.

_Needle! Arm!_ Something wasn't right. In a lightning move Kate pulls out her weapon. **"STOP!"** Kate yells at him.

"It's just a shot." The nurse tells her.

"Remove your hands, NOW! Or you'll be in your own ICU bed shortly, after a trip to surgery." Kate watches him pull his hands away with the needle still in Ross's arm.

"OFFICER!" Kate yells out, and watches him enter the room and pull his weapon on the nurse mimicking what Kate was doing. "Cuff him." Kate tells the officer.

The uniform officer puts his weapon away and pulls out his cuffs and turns the nurse around and cuffs him.

It allows Kate to move over to Ross. Kate pulls out the needle. "Antibiotics huh. So why is the only thing in it AIR?" Kate holds it up for the nurse to see.

"You don't understand, I had to." The nurse tells them.

Kate puts her weapon away and pulls out her phone and calls for more uniforms and Ryan and Espo to come collect the nurse.

Kate moves over to Morgan next and found him asleep but otherwise fine. His shoulder was also wrapped up since that was where Rick had shot him along with his head where it impacted the front windshield.

Kate ordered the uniforms to check everything from now on. Including the staff. Check them and everything they take into the room.

Finding out from the doctors that talking to any of them wasn't going to be today, Kate went back to the precinct. They were supposed to have answers soon.

Kate walks up to her desk. "Espo?" Meaning give me an update.

"The nurse is Chris Herndon. He sang like a canary as soon as we got him back here. Seems he has made some questionable financial choices when someone suggested he could earn some money. All he had to do was stick a needle in someone." Espo explains.

"He say who?" Kate asks.

"He didn't know, it was just a voice on the phone. He did however find a note at home telling him what would happen if he didn't agree." Espo tells her.

"Find out how he got paid, if he got paid. Pull his financials, and have CSU turn his apartment inside out" Kate tells him.

"We got ballistics back. The weapon Castle got off Lockwood was the one that put a round in Morgan's shoulder. … Not you Castle, the other Castle." Ryan looks embarrassed.

"Relax Ryan, I know who you meant." Kate gives him a break.

"Anyway, CSU has traced the rounds that struck the car. Seems both of you are good shots, every round you both fired hit the car. One of yours entered Ross's left shoulder while one of Castle's entered his right shoulder. …. The other Castle, not you Castle." Ryan makes a face not sure that came out right.

"Speaking of the other Castle, he came in while you were out after we came back here with Herndon." Ryan spills the beans.

"Castle was here? Where did he go?" Kate turned to look at Roy's office and saw it empty.

"Captain Montgomery left with him." Ryan tells her.

Kate knew he was going to come in and make a statement about yesterday, but why would Roy go with him?

Kate shakes her head. "Where are we on Morgan and Ross knowing Simmons?"

"Still working on that, so far nothing." Espo answers her question.

"We really need to interview those three." Kate moans.

"Yeah, before someone finally succeeds and kills them." Ryan tells her.

"Don't say things like that bro, you'll jinx us." Espo counters.

"So you're superstitious now are you Javi?" Ryan teases.

"ME? Definitely not! It just pays to be careful and cover all my options." Espo counters.

"Yeah, you just keep telling yourself that Espo. One day you might actually believe it." Kate sits at her desk.

Kate is sitting at her desk when suddenly someone is nibbling on her earlobe. "That better be you Castle, or I'm going to shoot you were it hurts most."

"Good information to know." Rick tells her as he stands up. Then watches Roy walk up behind Rick.

"Castle here is your new shadow Castle." Roy makes a face not sure that came out right.

"SIR!?" Kate's mouth falls to the floor.

"He was with you during that incident at the hospital yesterday and he says he needs to do, research. So he's going to be following you around for a while." Roy explains, liking this idea.

"Sir, I don't think, …." Kate is interrupted by Roy.

"The Mayor called and made the commissioner happy, and when the commissioner is happy, I'm happy, and when I'm happy, …." Roy trails off.

"How long sir?" Kate didn't like this idea.

"That's up to him. He's already filled out all the paperwork. He's ALL yours detective." Roy walks off and into his office, but leaves the door open. This 'otta be good!

"**CASTLE!"** Kate was going to take Rick apart, piece by piece.

Espo hangs up the phone. "Castle, we've got an incident at the hospital at Simmons room."

Both Castle's look at Espo. "Damn it! I just left there." Kate pulls out her gun and holsters it and starts for the elevator.

"You coming Castle or what?" Kate had her orders.


	51. Chapter 51

**CH51**

Things were quiet in the car while Kate drove to the hospital, until she couldn't take it anymore. "Ok Castle, talk! What the hell are you doing?"

"Kate, …." Kate however cuts him off.

"Don't Kate me Castle. Answer my question, I want to know what you think you are doing. Why are you in my car? Following me around Castle? …. Why?" Kate tuned to look at him quickly that told Rick he was a dead man.

"I was blocked Kate, really blocked. I killed of Derek Storm without knowing what to do next. It seemed like a good idea at the time. I was tired of him, he was going stale so he had to go.

Then that day at the hospital with you gave me the inspiration I needed. It gave me an idea for a whole new character, and I started writing. But I need you to finish it." Rick explains, praying it wouldn't make her mad.

"ME? Castle we're already married, what more of me do you need?" The fact that she loved him and didn't or couldn't live without him wasn't enough somehow?

"I know that Kate, but my new character is based off of you. You are my inspiration. I need to do research and see you in action. I need to understand and see what you do, so I can create her with realism." Rick tries to explain.

"Your new character is me?" Kate looked at him, not sure how to take that. "You're writing about me as your new character?" Kate was pretty sure she didn't want her life written in his books.

"YES, … well no, not technically. It's not about your life or what you have done. It's not a biography about you. … Yes the character is female, yes she is a homicide detective, but that is where the similarities end." Rick starts trying to explain his character.

"You're using me, but not writing about me." Kate tries to understand.

"Right, she's talented, hard working, driven, very pretty, exceptionally sexy and a little slutty." Rick explains her basic personality.

"You're writing about me?" Kate can't get past that.

"About you no. Based off of you yes. She's had her trials and troubles in her past, just not yours. They are different and not even remotely what you have gone through. She doesn't have a child, isn't married and goes through guys like candy." Rick tells Kate.

"Seriously Castle? Now you've made me a slut that will bed anything that comes along." Kate was mad now and glares at Rick briefly, before putting her eyes back on the road.

"She's not you Kate, just the idea of her is based on you. And I did mention she is kinda slutty." Rick was grinning. He thought the idea was genius.

"And you want to follow me around to give you inspiration?" Kate tries to understand.

"Right! …. In fact you already have. Those 6 chapters I wrote last night are all you. Well not you, but based off of you. And no it wasn't what happened at the hospital but it was action packed showing casing what you can do." Rick hoped that made her feel better about his idea.

"Those 6 chapters last night were because of me?" Kate wasn't sure how to take this.

"Right and to keep going I need to be around you and see exactly how things work. It needs to be realistic or no one will believe it." Rick thinks Kate is getting to like it.

Kate parks at the hospital and exits the car. "This is not done Castle." Kate had lots of questions and wanted to figure out how to talk him out of it. But she did want him writing.

Walking up towards Simmons room, Kate started seeing the problem. "What's going on here?" Kate asks approaching the room.

"You in charge of this Neanderthal?" I guy dressed as a doctor asks with venom in his voice.

"Correct, and you are?" Kate was in charge.

"Josh Davidson, Doctor Josh Davidson, and this is my patient that your mindless peon here will not let me see." Josh tries standing over Kate, since he was much taller than her.

Kate ignores him and turns to the uniform officer on the door. "Has he been searched and is he on the approved list?"

"No ma'am." The uniform officer responds.

"Not pre-approved after a complete background check which is mandatory, and even after that you will be searched along with anything you bring into the room." Kate looks up at him un-intimidated by his height or his manner.

"I'm the doctor and you and your Neanderthal don't have a say, he's my patient and you have no right to keep me from him." Josh tries again.

"Until you have a security clearance you are not setting foot in that room, period. And I have all the right I need to keep you out and I'm using it." Kate counters.

"This isn't over yet, I'll go over your head to your superior." Josh starts to walk off.

"Good luck with that." Then Kate turns to the uniform officer. "If he tries to get back in again without clearance, arrest him by any method necessary. If he resists, SHOOT HIM!" Kate glares at Josh who was still close enough. Then watches him walk away huffing as he went.

"Yes ma'am, thank you." He had been wanting to get rid of Josh ever since his first attempt at entering.

Kate and Rick are walking back to the car. "Glad he's not my doctor, his bedside manner needs a lot of work." Rick tries to lighten up the moment. It did get Kate to grin.

"Kate, it's not about you. … Ok, that's not true it is about you, it's just not about your life. And you get to read it first just like always." Rick points out.

"And if I don't like it?" Kate didn't want her life on display for everyone to read.

"Then you get to press the delete key, but it's going to be great Kate. Really special." Kate was in.

"What about Alexis, Castle?" Kate still had one card to play.

"I pick her up from kindergarten as always and take her home, and occasionally come back to the precinct for our training sessions. We get to see more of each other. … Unless you want to be away from me." Was that one of the reasons she was fighting back so much.

"NO Castle, it's not that." Just what did having him follow her around do to them, or would it do anything? Would it drive them apart or make them closer?

"Except for the academy I've had training so I can handle myself. I got Lockwood and helped you with those two at the car. Maybe I don't know all of the procedures or used them like you do. But I did help you study for the detective exam." Rick points out.

Kate had to admit he had a point. And she didn't have a partner since Royce put in for a transfer when Kate had tried to make detective. In fact she hadn't seen him since then. Kate had no idea where or what Royce was doing now.

"Fine Castle, as long as Alexis isn't left behind or hurt by this plan of yours. She's our daughter, I don't want her hurt by this. … And you do what I tell you when I tell you Castle. This is my job, not yours, and I'm the one that's armed.

You may have nanites, but if you get yourself killed because of this plan of yours, I will shoot you." Kate glares at him for a moment while driving.

"It'll be great Kate, trust me." Rick was in!

"And how are you still awake anyway Castle. You spent all of last night typing." Tired people make mistakes.

"You inspire me Kate, what can I say. … I love you and I have a new character because of you. Maybe even better than Derek Storm ever was or could be." Rick smiled at Kate.

Kate shook her head. It was dirty pool using the 'I love you' card, but she knew he did and she loved him too.

"I love you too Castle. This better work out." Kate was convinced she had gone mad to let him do this.

"Why was Captain Montgomery with you wherever you two were?" Kate was curious, now that Rick was in.

"I bought up the idea with him first and he was all for it. Something about wanting to see what a husband and wife team would do for the precinct. Then he took me downstairs to one of their lawyers and had me sign a bunch of papers." Rick explains.

"Did you let my parents look those papers over?" What had he signed?

"I did that and they would have tried to talk me out of this. That wasn't going to happen. I don't need them to keep me from getting into trouble, only to get me out of trouble." Rick knew they would try and stop him if they read those papers.

"MY PARENTS! … how am I going to explain this to my parents?" Her parents might shoot both of them.

"Very carefully?" Rick offers half joking.

"Oh funny Castle." He was a big help. Kate gave him another quick glare.

Kate and Rick stop onto the 4th floor. "Espo, there is a Josh Davidson at the hospital who is trying to gain access to Simmons. Check him out, go through everything." He seemed to want in bad. Why?

"And his girlfriend, wife, sister, parents." Rick adds. Then sees the look on Kate's face. "He wanted into that room. Maybe whoever wants them dead got to his girlfriend, wife, sister, children or parents. Or maybe they have already gotten to them." Rick points out.

Kate was smiling. "Add them to the list Espo. First hired killers, then pay and threaten a nurse. Someone wants them dead. They may be scum, but they're my scum and I want to know what they know."

"They paid a nurse to kill them?" Rick hadn't heard that before.

"$30,000 to put an air bubble in his blood stream." Kate tells him.

"That is a very painful way to die. He would have groped and fought to live. He would have had to watch that after injecting that air bubble." Rick points out.

"A nurse is trained to save people not kill them." Kate points out.

"$30,000 to go against what you have trained to do. How did THEY know he needed the money? I assume he needed it." Rick asks Kate.

"Ryan?" Kate calls out.

"On it." Ryan responds back and starts looking through his notes before making a phone call.

"$30,000 for a nurse. … How much for a doctor?" Rick talks to himself out loud.

"Ryan?" Kate calls out again.

"On it." Ryan calls out again and picks up the phone finding the number he wants.

Kate was smiling, Rick and his questions just might prove useful. Lord knows he knows how to kill people. In his books anyway. Plus the bad guy always gets caught.

Espo was standing at Kate's desk. "What's Castle doing in the interrogation room?" Espo was convinced he was going to go mad dealing with two Castle's.

"He's writing up his statement about the shooting at the hospital yesterday. He's a writer so he should be good at it." Kate was hoping he was good at it. She didn't want to write it for him. "What have you got?" Kate noticed he had a folder in his hands.

"Josh Davidson. He's only been at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center for the last 3 months. Before that he spent 6 months at Bellevue Hospital Center. Before that he was at the Staten Island University Hospital for 2-1/2 years before he requested a transfer. Before that he was out of state." Espo concludes.

"So he gets around. See if you can get anything on him about why he left Staten Island. Then see if he had the same reason for Bellevue." It sounded funny to Kate. A good doctor would be wanted by the hospital wouldn't they, not let him hop around like a jack rabbit.

"Ryan, where are we on financials for Davidson?" Maybe there was a clue in there somewhere.

"Just got them." Ryan was looking at his computer.

Kate hopped up and moved over to his desk.

"Ok, he makes doctor's money. Not much surprise there." Kate continued looking.

"This is interesting, he has a deposit of $50,000 just yesterday." He had gotten paid his salary just 2 days before that.

"Trace it, see where it came from." Maybe Castle was right. $30,000 for a nurse and $50,000 for a doctor.

"Can't, it came from an offshore account in the Caymans." Ryan points out.

Kate didn't like the sound of that. "Go back to when he was at Bellevue."

"There, another $50,000. See where it came from." Kate was sure she wasn't going to like the answer.

"Same place, same account in the Caymans." Ryan points out.

"Now go back to around when he left St. Lukes." Was this going to be the nail for his coffin?

"Stop! There, a deposit of $50,000. Go back some more. …. Stop! Another $50,000. Find out where they came from." Kate was itching to get her hands on this Davidson guy.

"They all are from the same place, same account." Ryan tells Kate looking up at her.

"Espo, find out if anyone died at these hospitals on these dates." Had she just found a hired killer who was also a doctor?

"What are all these payments here?" Kate points to the screen. "They're all to the same place. Looks like what, $2 million worth." Kate tries adding in her head.

Ryan brings up google. "High end furniture store."

"He spent almost $2 million on furniture? Where does he live?" Kate was curious now.

Ryan googled it too. "High rise condo, midtown." Ryan answers her question. Then Kate watches him google the building. "There are some units for sale now. $6 million to $24 million. Depending on size and what floor they are on."

"$6 million on his income is stretching it a bit." Kate speculates, reminding her she needed to talk with Castle about their own finances. Especially if they were buying a house in the Hamptons.

"Not if he is bringing in money on the side as a hired killer." Ryan points out.

"Extra $150,000 a year. Could make living the good life just a little nicer." But he was a doctor, wasn't he? A doctor of death now maybe?

"Got it!" Espo is looking at his computer screen. "There were two deaths six months apart at his first place." Espo watches Ryan and Kate look at Ryan's computer again.

"His $50,000 deposits are almost 6 months apart. The last one was 2 weeks before he left." Kate points out.

"I've got one at his next place just 2 weeks before he left for this hospital." Espo points out.

"Bingo! Find him. Get units over to his condo and get another uniform on each of our three at the hospital. …. Find him!" Finally, a hired killer that wasn't lying unconscious in a hospital bed.

"And get a bolo on his car and put him on the no-fly list. I want him." Kate tells them and then watches both of them hit the phones.

"Castle! I've got a hit. He just used his card at an ATM machine at the airport." Ryan calls out.

"Damn it! He's on the run and headed out of our jurisdiction." Kate had missed him.

"Who's out of your jurisdiction?" Rick asks having stepped into the room. "Someone yelled Castle." Rick shrugged his shoulders.

It got Kate to smile. There were now 2 Castle's in the building. "Doctor Davidson is at the airport now, probably trying to get out of town. It looks like he might be a hired killer." Kate explains.

"That jerk that wanted into Simmons room? That's what, the third time someone has tried to kill him after you found him?" Just what did this guy know? "If he's in the air that means he is fleeing from state to state. Isn't that were the FBI come in?" Rick just stood there hoping that wasn't a stupid question.

Kate smiled and pulled out her cell phone. "Hi Jordan, I need a favor." Kate starts off with.

Kate was off the phone. "Jordan will have some local FBI guys in Miami waiting for him, find him and bring him back." Kate started typing on her computer.

"What are you doing now?" Rick was curious.

"Typing up a request for a warrant to get into doctor Davidson's condo in midtown." Kate explains.

Rick whistles. "Being a hired killer must pay pretty good."

Kate prints it out. "Now I just need someone to sign it." And Kate grabs her gun, badge and cuffs and starts walking for the elevator. "You coming Castle?"

An hour later with a signed warrant for a search in her hand, she finds the guys and 2 uniform officers waiting for her at the door.

"Open it." Kate tells the building owner with the keys.

"Gloves people." Kate pulls out two pairs and hands one to Rick.

Rick is walking around while snapping on his gloves. "Yup, being a hired killer pays pretty good." The place looked nice to Rick's eyes.

Rick took the bedroom along with Kate. Kate started with the bed while Rick took the dresser drawers. "Did someone bring a black light?" Kate calls out. Getting Ryan to walk in and give her one.

"Kill the lights Castle." Getting Rick to hit the light switch.

Kate pulls back the comforter. "Looks like our boy has been busy." Kate notices the stains. "See if you can find any hairs and get CSU to take the bed with them." Kate moves to the closet as Rick turns the lights back on.

"Kate!?" Rick calls out.

Kate twists from parting clothes in the closet. "Find something?"

"I don't know yet." Rick can feel Kate now standing next to him.

"This drawer won't pull out all the way." Rick pulls and it stops, like something is stuck.

Rick moves his hands around and soon has his fingers on the underside on each side. "Lift the drawer a little for me."

Kate reaches across Rick and lifts the front end while Rick moves his fingers. "There I think I got it, now pull."

And Kate pulls the drawer out. "Well, what do we have here?" Rick moves the drawer so the back of it is facing him. "There are two bottles taped to the back side of it. Drug bottles." Rick works at removing the tape and holds the bottles allowing Kate to put the drawer down.

"Scopolamine." Rick reads the bottles.

"The zombie drug?" Kate takes one of the bottles and looks for herself. "Why does he have the zombie drug?" And why was this stuff all over the place lately?

"Why do the killing yourself, when you can get someone else to do it for you, and not remember anything later." Rick points out.


	52. Chapter 52

**CH52**

"Why do they want Simmons dead so badly?" Kate mumbles out while driving back to the precinct.

"Whoever they are, they have money and are willing to spend it. Hired killers like Lockwood don't come cheap. That nurse at thirty grand was getting off cheap. A doctor who has killed before at fifty grand. Plus those other two.

Drugs is big money Kate. If the government would legalize pot and then tax it, think of the money they would rake in. And that's just one drug. Those drug cartels make millions monthly." Rick offers.

"Worth paying to have him killed? A drug cartel would just blow up the building and kill everyone, or have two walk in with AK-47's and mow down everyone including Simmons." Kate didn't understand.

**"KATE!?"** Rick looks at Kate with alarm in his voice.

"**OH SHIT!"** Kate takes out her cell phone and calls for a bomb sniffing dog to sweep the hospital.

"And parking lot." Rick adds. Kate adds the parking lot before hanging up.

"Why the parking lot Castle?" Kate went with it not knowing why, and asks after she is off the phone.

"A bomb in the parking lot will draw everyone's attention, at least for a few moments." Rick explains.

"Allowing someone to slip in kill the officer and then kill Simmons and slip back out again." Kate gets it.

"Plus if they do find one out in the parking lot, they will stop looking for one INSIDE the building." Rick offers up. Getting Kate to take out her cell phone again to take care of that little problem.

Then Kate's cell phone rings. "Castle. …. Yeah, got it. Be there in 20.

We got a body drop."

"New York never sleeps. Drop me off at the corner Kate. I'll take a taxi to my car so I can go pick up Alexis from school." Rick tells her.

"Go get our munchkin Castle, I'll see you when I get home. Hopefully I can make it home." This case was just way too active to be sitting around doing nothing.

"You be careful Kate, I don't need you getting blown up by a bomb." Rick leans across and kisses Kate a nice long soft kiss, then starts to leave only to give Kate another quicker kiss this time. Then exits the car and starts searching for a cab and has one even before Kate has left yet.

Kate steps into the apartment that had already been taped off. "Hi Lanie, what have we got?"

"Hi girlfriend, anything new in your life?" Lanie hadn't been over to the boat in over a week now.

"Just one. Castle talked Captain Montgomery into letting him follow me around on cases." Kate still wasn't sure about this.

"You mean like this one?" Lanie questions wondering what follow around means.

"He had to go pick up Alexis from school, otherwise yes; he would be here watching everything I do." He was a writer, not a cop, plus he was unarmed.

"Did he say why?" Lanie was really curious now.

"How about another time, it's a long story." Kate offers.

"Sure, you can explain over the lunch you are buying tomorrow." Lanie tells her.

"I'm buying lunch tomorrow?" Wait Castle would be with her, unless he didn't come. Maybe he should come, Kate still wasn't sure she understood it all yet.

"Why thank you for offering Kate. I accept." Lanie was grinning.

"Walked right into that one didn't I? …. body Lanie?" Kate wants to get this over with. Set up her murder board and make it home before Alexis went to bed again.

"Meet one Tom Williams based on his ID that was still on him." Lanie starts off.

Kate's mouth falls open and her eyes are wide open. "Seriously! We've been looking for him. The zombies said he was their supplier for the Scopolamine some of them have been using." Kate couldn't believe it.

"The same stuff that Simmons is full of?" Lanie is catching on.

"That's the stuff. Looks like he has been dead for a while now." Kate notices he is in sad shape.

"He's just like the Lehman's. Hands and feet are bound. The bloating has almost caused them to be cut off. Based on the Lehman's he died of dehydration and lack of food." Lanie explains.

"Tied up and left to die." Kate had heard this before. "Who found him?"

Lanie points. "Girlfriend over there came home from spending a week with her parents. She called 911."

"Thanks Lanie, let me know when he died when you can." Kate left Lanie and moved over to the girlfriend.

Kate was headed back to the precinct to not set up a new murder board, but to add to one she already had. This case just got weirder.

Williams is the dealer. His girlfriend/fiancé knew nothing about it. He doesn't have a job and takes classes, yet he lives where he does and she doesn't question it. Sometimes she worries about her gender and this one wasn't even a blonde.

The drugs he deals are used for a zombie walk, then she finds Simmons pumped full of his drug. Now it's found hidden in Doctor Davidson's condo who might be moonlighting as a hired killer. Who maybe didn't actually kill anyone, just pumped them full of drugs and had them do his killing.

So why was he on the run?

"CSU is still working on what they found where Simmons was, now they have Davidson to process and we hear they are at Williams now." Espo comments.

Kate finished adding her information on Williams to her board. "Go home you two, AFTER you make sure there is a rotation on our three guys in the hospital. Two uniforms per room. They have tried three times now, tonight might be a fourth." Kate tells the guys.

"And you?" Ryan was curious.

"I'll be right behind you. I have a daughter to see before she goes to bed." Kate missed it last time. She didn't want to miss another.

Kate took her leathers off of the coat rack that wasn't being used that she found in the building somewhere. It was much better than trying to stuff them into her drawer.

"HI MOM!" Alexis was at the top of the ramp waiting for her.

"Hi pumpkin." Kate was glad to see her and scooped her up into her arms and started kissing her over and over. "How was school? Is it nice?"

"They teach us things, we get to play and we take a nap." Alexis sounded happy about it.

"What about the other kids, do you like any of them?" Kate knew she needed some friends.

"Yup, we play in groups that the teacher put us in." Alexis explains.

"Sounds like fun. Where's your father?" Kate had something she wanted to talk to him about and thought she had put it off long enough already.

"Typing." Alexis explains.

Kate was surprised. Castle spent all of last night typing; now he is at it again. When does he plan on sleeping?

Kate went into the kitchen and found that Castle hadn't started dinner. "You want to help me fix dinner?" Kate needed to keep her occupied.

Getting an enthusiastic nodding of Alexis's head. "That's my girl. How about you go see if we have any strawberries left." Kate knew it was late in the season for them and there might not be any left. "Here's your bowl pumpkin."

Kate started gathering what she needed for dinner. She would add the strawberries, if there were any left, to the salad that she would make last.

Kate was just getting it into the oven when Alexis finally came back. "Sorry mom."

Alexis's bowl was almost empty. "That's ok pumpkin, I didn't expect there would be many left." Apples would be next month and for the next couple of months after that.

Kate was waiting till the oven was almost done before putting the salad together and was nursing her glass of wine. "Is your school big?" Kate asks Alexis.

"Yup, lots of room." Alexis put her arms out wide, getting Kate to chuckle. Kate had seen it, and even to her it was big. To Alexis it probably looked even bigger.

Kate started to put the salad together. "Go get your father pumpkin, it's time for dinner." Watching Alexis take off.

Alexis is back. "He's typing mom." Alexis was grinning, knowing what came next.

Kate searched her hiddy hole for the air horn. "Here you go pumpkin." Kate was grinning wide, watching Alexis smile.

Kate soon heard the air horn followed by. **"ALEXIS!"** Then watched Alexis come running back into the kitchen where Kate took the horn and hid it again.

Rick finally walks into the kitchen. "I am so going to let you two have it one of these days. You won't know when and you won't know how, but I will get even." Rick does his best to glare at both of them.

Kate however isn't afraid and Alexis is just smiling at him.

"We need to invite Lanie over soon. She mentioned off hand that she hadn't been here in weeks." Kate mentions while they eat.

Rick thought about it. "It's true isn't it? I never really thought about it. … We have training after work tomorrow, unless you don't want to. I suppose we could invite her over the day after, or we could all go out to a restaurant to eat. Might be better if we did more special maybe."

"I like it Castle. It'll have to be someplace Alexis can go too and early enough for her." Kate points out.

"I'll look up something tomorrow before coming into the precinct." Rick offers.

"You sure this is a good plan Castle." Kate just wasn't sold.

"If you don't want me there I won't force the issue Kate." Rick looked and sounded depressed about having to fight for his plan.

"It's not that Castle. It's not, I swear. I just don't know what this will do to our marriage Castle. What if we have a fight one night and then have to work together the next or the opposite." No space to cool off.

"All couples fight Kate. Ask your parents if they have ever had an argument. But just think about this. How many fights have we had since we got married?" Rick looks at her.

Kate thought about it. "None. Not real fights anyway. I'm not sure about this following me plan of yours, but that's not a fight."

"And why do you think that is Kate." Rick had his theory, what was Kate's?

"I want you close Castle. When I'm home I want you next to me. I want to be in your arms. I want to know you love me. I also want Alexis in mine. I want to know she's safe Castle and having her there makes me feel that she is safe." Kate opens her heart secure in the knowledge that Rick wouldn't hurt it.

"This might come as a shock but I feel the same. I want you close. I want to know you are safe. It's part of why I went to the training sessions at Quantico with you. Part of why I come in and train with you.

I know what you can do. I've seen it. And it may be selfish of me, but I think I can do the best job of keeping you safe. Following you around gives me a chance to be close to you when you are at work.

It also helps give me inspiration to write. Until you sent Alexis in with that horn of yours, I had 2 more chapters written.

It isn't your life I'm writing about Kate. It's just that WHAT you do gives me inspiration on what to write. And I swear Kate, when I'm done and you hate it, you just have to press the delete button. You're in charge now.

And I like the idea of you being in charge. Better than my old publisher. Though I still have to send it in to my new one." Rick wanted her to see what he sees, yet again.

Kate thought about it. Rick was serious and Captain Montgomery had allowed it. He had even mentioned once that he wished Rick had gone to the academy with her. Husband and wife homicide detectives.

Just Kate liked that he was a writer and not a cop.

"You stay behind me Castle, I'm the cop and I'm the one with 117 on my side, not you. Losing you will kill me Castle. I thought the pain of losing Alexis those 3 times was bad. Seeing you lying on the ground in a pool of blood almost killed me Rick." Kate's voice is cracking at the end.

Rick reaches across the table. "I am going to do what I can to keep you safe Kate, but outside of that, I swear." Rick raises his other hand.

"Castle there is one other thing. …. I want to, …. I mean I want us, …." Kate huffs, why was this so hard?

Kate could see him looking at her, waiting patiently. "I want to stop using birth control." Then she saw Rick start smiling wide, then Rick reached across with his other hand and now held both her hands in his.

"Turn Alexis into a big sister." Rick was smiling wider and wider and it made Kate feel better and better.

Kate nodded her head. "We've been talking to her about it, and I'm a homicide detective and it's been almost 4 years." Kate points out.

Rick suddenly yawns wide and then suddenly covers his mouth. "No sleep is catching up to you Castle." Kate points out smiling.

"Trying to make a baby may be delayed a day." Rick yawns yet again. "At least till morning."

Kate was also thinking that the pill she had taken only a couple of weeks ago needed time to wear off. Until then she would be only too happy to partake in practice of making a baby.

Kate found out that Castle was right about waiting till morning. She was standing naked in front of the full length mirror yet again, reflecting on the twists and turns her life had taken. When Rick stepped out of the shower and was asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

Kate put on one of her night shirts and slipped in next to Rick. This time she draped an arm over him to hold him close. Was Rick right? She did like having him close. Would being close to him even during the day at work change anything?

It did potentially put him in harm's way. But then he had already gotten shot and wasn't even following her around yet. However there was a bonus to having him follow her around. She would be in his arms more often. She could feel him and smell him more often.

Maybe he could help take away the stress of her job. She hadn't really thought about all these dead bodies. Talking to girlfriends about having her boyfriend being found dead. She had seen it, just not been the one to actually do it. This job she had selected was full of stress, and not very pretty to look at.

Maybe Rick was right; his following her around would work out. He was at least writing again, and if she found herself in that book she was going to do a lot more than just press the delete key. A whole lot more.

Kate just snuggled in close and kissed the closest part of him her lips could reach. "I love you Rick."

Kate blinked her eyes awake. It was a perfectly good dream and she was wet and hot and ever so close to an orgasm. Except she was moaning and squirming all over the bed. GOD IT FELT GOOD!

She was close, ever so close. Kate moved her hands to hold the head that was locked between her legs in place. Kate ran her fingers through his hair. SO CLOSE.

WAIT! She WAS awake, and Rick's head was held securely between her legs. Kate's moans were becoming more vocal. Please God don't let him stop!

A few moments later she was screaming with her back arched with her butt lifted high off the bed as her orgasm crashed over her. Rick never stopped and she was soon thrashing all over the bed just moments away from her second orgasm.

It took a number of minutes for Kate to calm down from her high of what Rick had done to her, for her.

Kate rolled over to face Rick. "Don't ever stop doing that. I think that just became my most favorite method of waking up in the morning." Kate kissed his nose.

Rick smiled at her. "I'll see what I can do." Then Rick kissed her, stroking his tongue across her lips and feeling her open her mouth instantly.

Kate wanted this taste, she loved the taste and smell of THEM. It was so perfect.

Kate soon rolled over on top of him and while still kissing Rick, started grinding herself over him, feeling him respond.

Kate had finished her shower and was in the kitchen eating with Rick and Alexis. "I presume you are coming into the precinct today."

"I got 2 more chapters done yesterday before you sent your wake up call, and yes I'll be in after I drop off Alexis at kindergarten. I'm dying to find out what Simmons knows that makes him so important." Maybe Rick could use it in his book. He was going to file away everything he learned while following his wife around.

"I'd like to know that too." Whoever wanted him dead was throwing money around like it was candy.

"Bye pumpkin, you be a good girl in school today. I'll see you when I get home." Kate lifted her up at the top of the ramp so she could kiss her several times on the cheek. Then puts her back down.

"Bye mom." Alexis waves and waits and watches until she can't see Kate anymore.

Kate turned on her computer at her desk and found a message from Jordan Shaw waiting for her. "Picked up your guy just as he exited the plane. He's already back on a plane headed for New York. Should be yours by noon your time.

Lockwood is being stubborn. A lawyer showed up representing him even though we told no one we had him. He didn't get to see him since he is no longer in DC. Enjoy our gift."

"So someone wants their hired killer back. To keep using him? Or kill him?" Kate talks to herself.

Kate did keep looking. Results from CSU on the Simmons location were finally in.

Simmons blood was found at the scene. "No big surprise since he is missing finger nails and a few toes."

The place was dirty with oil, grease, a little mud, dust, cobwebs. The oil was 10w40 car oil. The grease was also automotive. There were lots of tracks. Some were Simmons, others were of a hiking boot, size 12. Only two sets of foot prints were present.

There was one used needle in the area. Traces of Scopolomine were found inside. Simmons DNA was also found on the needle. No prints were found. The only car tracks were outside the building of several different types.

"So nothing overly useful there. Except it tells me whoever did it was alone." Kate needed a little more.

Her desk phone started to ring. "Castle. …. I'll be right there." FINALLY!

Kate is headed for the elevator just as Ryan and Espo step out. "We're going to the hospital. Ross and Morgan are conscious and the doctor will let us talk to them." Kate steps into the elevator and waits for the guys to join her.


	53. Chapter 53

**CH53**

Kate, Ryan and Espo all had to go through screening at the entrance to Ross's room.

"I'm detective Castle, this is detective Ryan and Esposito. You're in a hospital Mr. Ross. You were in a car as an accessory to attempted murder. A little more serious than a simple car theft this time." Kate starts out with.

Ross however remains silent.

"You and your friends were sent here to kill someone. I want to know who hired you? Who sent you Mr. Ross?" Kate gives him a chance.

Ross however remains silent.

"It would be best if you told me Mr. Ross. The person who sent you have already tried to have you killed her in the hospital at least twice. He paid a nurse $30 grand the first time. When that one failed he paid a doctor $50 grand.

Eventually he is going to succeed Mr. Ross. Once you're well enough to leave this hospital, you'll be processed and placed in the general population. Likely you won't last your first day. You'll be shanked before the sun goes down." Kate paused to let that sink in.

"Tell us who sent you Mr. Ross, while you're still alive to tell anyone anything. And since whoever hired you wants you to remain silent, this might be your one and only chance." Kate tries again.

Ross however remains silent.

"Have it your way Mr. Ross. I'll have the guards on your door removed and you can take your chances. Maybe as your dying keeping his secret with your life, he'll pay you even more money for your silence.

Oh, but you can't take it with you, can you." Kate uses her next to last card.

Ross however remains silent.

"Have it your way Mr. Ross. Perhaps your friend is more fond of his life and would like to keep it." Kate motions the guys out.

At the door with it still open. "You two can go home. He would rather take his chances that his employer won't try to kill him again to keep him silent." Kate lets the door start to close.

Just as it clicks shut. "Wait."

Kate opens the door after waiting a minute. "You had your chance Mr. Ross." Kate lets the door close.

Just as it clicks shut. "Wait."

Kate opens the door after waiting a minute. "What? Or are you only interested in wasting my time?"

"His name is Lazarus." Ross tells her.

"Lazarus? Lazarus what?" Kate asks still standing at the open door.

"That's all I know him as, Lazarus. I've never seen him. We know him only as Lazarus. He has power and he has reach. If he thinks you know anything too, he'll have you killed too.

Your husband, your children. He's ruthless and has no morals. He's already had kids killed, yours would mean nothing to him." Ross tries to scare Kate.

"Where do I find this Lazarus?" Kate wasn't intimidated and not scared of him. Ross was just trying to get under her skin.

"You don't, he finds you. He probably already knows everything about you." Ross tries again.

"How did you get paid?" Kate asks, not interested in his warnings.

"Direct deposit into an offshore account." Ross tells her.

"Let me guess, Caymans." Kate knew that's where Doctor Davidson's money came from. Plus Kate had heard this all from the nurse.

"How do you contact him?" Would this allow her to talk to him?

Ross however shakes his head. "He contacts you when he wants something. He knows when you have succeeded or not."

Kate lets the door close, and just before it click in place. "You two stay and keep the schedule." Kate tells the uniforms. Ross gave them something so Kate kept her part.

Kate and the guys move on to Morgan next.

"What do you think?" Kate asks the guys.

"Lazarus is obviously a fake name. He wants to keep his identity a secret." Ryan points out the obvious.

"Everyone has accounts in the Caymans?" Espo questions.

"One Cayman bank to another Cayman bank keeps it off of the US radar." Ryan points out.

"Still he has to contact them somehow. Find out if CSU has finished with their car and their apartments. Phone, text, messenger, add in the paper, something." Kate points at Ryan.

"You think this Lazarus is actually after you now?" Espo asks Kate since Ryan stepped away and was on his cell phone.

"He's just trying to get under my skin. Still I'll keep my eyes open." Kate comments.

"And Castle? Not you Castle the other Castle." Espo deflates, he's never going to adjust to this.

Kate however was grinning at his pain. "I'll inform Castle, he can handle himself." Kate knew he could since they worked out together every few days.

"He knows when you have succeeded or not." Espo softly speaks.

Kate had heard that one too. "We need to limit what we know after this. Be careful who we tell and who reads our reports. That should tell us something." Kate tells him and opens the door leading to Morgan.

"CSU will have what we need by the time we make it back to the 12th." Ryan tells Kate as they reach their cars for the trip there.

"You believe them?" Espo asks. Simmons was still out of it so they didn't get to talk to him.

"A mysterious Lazarus, who has access to seemingly endless number of people willing to kill for money. That he is spending like handing out candy to children." Kate comments.

"Where is he getting the money? …. From Simmons and his drug money?" Espo questions.

"You think this Lazarus is big enough to send fake FBI guys?" Ryan offers up.

"And now he is short $400 million." Kate points out.

"Unless he has enough reach to have the FBI give it back to him." Espo doesn't like this idea.

"Jordan didn't strike me as someone who would sell herself out for money." Kate didn't get that feeling from her.

"Ross threatened you and your family." Espo points out.

Kate puzzles over that. Had Jordan's little girl been threatened with solid evidence that she could be gotten to? Would he do that to Alexis too?

Kate and the guys step off the elevator and finds Rick sitting on her chair at her desk doodling on a piece of paper. Kate decides to get even.

Kate steps up behind Castle and runs her hands over his shoulders and down his chest and leans in to bite his earlobe.

"That better be you Kate, or my wife is going to kill both of us." Rick takes her hands still on his chest in his.

"Maybe tonight if you're a good boy Castle." Kate purrs into his ear.

"I think we've already established that I'm a bad boy Kate." Rick leans his head back to get a peek at her.

"Then I'll just have to spank you tonight instead." Kate teases back.

"Just so long as you bring your cuffs with you." Rick grins.

Kate stops breathing and her heart does a flip. "We'll talk about this later Rick." Watching Rick's grin get wider.

"Where have you been?" Rick asks.

Kate takes her arms back. "Morgan and Ross were ready to talk."

Rick spun in her chair. "Really! And Simmons?" Those two were low end, Simmons was a bigger fish.

"Still unconscious, the doctors would call when we can talk to him." Kate tells him, wanting to talk to Simmons too.

"You've got a visitor." Rick nods his head towards the break room.

"ALEXIS?" Kate guesses hoping it was, momentarily forgetting she would be at school.

Rick shakes his head and they both watch her visitor come out of the break room with a mug of coffee.

"Sorenson." Kate whispers out with pure venom in her voice.

They both watch him walk over to them. "Officer Beckett."

"It's Detective Castle, Sorenson, and what the hell are you doing here." Kate does not keep her hatred of the guy out of her voice. Even if she had wanted to, Kate would have failed.

"I've heard you have one Vulcan Simmons and $400 million in a police raid. I'm here to collect both of them." Will had heard detective Castle, still he was FBI, she had to do what he asked.

"Oh really? …. Well the DC FBI has your $400 million. As to what they did with it, …. isn't my problem. As for Simmons, not a chance in hell.

His guards have orders to shoot anyone who attempts to get in his room, that includes stupid FBI guys." Kate leaves off the 'That means you', but everyone heard it none the less.

"Still you have your orders, hand him over." Sorenson tries again.

"Unfortunately for you I'm aware of FBI procedure since me and my husband here." Kate nods her head at Rick, "have had training by the FBI. Soooo, you can hand over your paperwork, show me your ID and then sign the forms necessary or I'll have you escorted out of the building." Kate glares at him.

Will was in trouble, he hadn't been told anything about this, still, … "You don't have the authority."

"Ryan, Espo, Agent Sorenson is leaving. Escort him out of the building. If he resists, arrest him and throw him in lock up. IF he is stupid enough to pull his weapon, SHOOT HIM!" Kate motions Ryan and Espo over.

Will needed a new plan to succeed as ordered, so he left with Ryan, Espo and Rick right behind him.

Ryan, Espo and Rick are soon back and find Kate sitting at her desk. "Anything about that remind you two of anything?" Kate looks at Ryan and Espo.

"Another stupid FBI guy?" Espo hated the FBI, they thought they were so damn better than anyone else.

"The trucks." Ryan whispers.

It got Espo to look at his partner and then at Kate. "You think he's a fake? That would take some balls, walk right in here and do that."

"No, he's probably real, just like Davidson is real." Kate speculates.

"Lazarus knows." Ryan says with a little more conviction.

"Who's Lazarus?" Rick asks, looking confused.

"Find out everything you can on our friend Will Sorenson. Run his phone records, try and get his financials, find out who his latest girlfriend was, everything. Where he lives, how long he has been with the FBI, how long he has been assigned to New York.

If you hit a road block, let me know. I think I know someone who might be able to clear the road for you." Kate hoped she could anyway.

Rick sat in the chair that was next to her desk, noticing it felt like sitting on concrete.

Kate proceeded to tell him everything Ross and Morgan had said.

"You think he was right? This Lazarus guy is already thinking of how to handle you." Rick was only a little worried. Just Alexis was at kindergarten and not being watched, except by her teacher.

"I don't know Castle, I'm thinking he was trying to get under my skin. Why, I don't know." Kate couldn't think of a reason for Ross to want to instill fear in her.

"He's either telling the truth or he's not. If he's not, we have nothing to worry about. If he is, …." Rick trails off.

"I'm not living my life in fear Rick, I can't let what he said affect my thinking." Kate had been thru 2 years of hell; go back to those times or even anything close was out.

"I looked into a security system for the boat one time; it just didn't seem to be practical. Too many operable windows and there are doors everywhere. The doors all have locks, but their antiques with no real way to replace them easily." Rick points out.

"We have weapons Rick." Kate points out, hoping that was enough.

"Can we monitor the dock area at least? I don't want to turn our home into a fortress Rick. It's our home." Kate wanted to keep it that way.

Rick takes in a deep breath. "We can add more single weapon gun safes. We only have three now. One in the dining room to put your weapon into when you get home. There is one in the kitchen and one in our bedroom. We could add one or two more easily enough." Rick offers watching Kate think it over.

"We could add infra-red trip lights out on the dock attached to alarms. Turn them on when we go to bed." Rick offered while Kate was still thinking.

Kate hated the idea that she was letting what Ross said get to her, but she also wanted her family safe.

"Do not go over the top with this Rick. It's our home not Fort Knox." Kate warns him.

It got Rick smiling. One state of the art system coming right up!

Rick had just finished making arrangements for someone to come out and turn the dock area into a WWI 'no man's land', when his phone rang.

He could see Kate was interested in what he was talking about since she was looking right at him.

"That was Lynda, she got all of the estimates back. She's going to take them and go back to the owner and see what they say." Rick explains.

"How bad?" Was the house she already loved a lemon.

"According to the roofers, the roof suffered damage and they had some idiot come out to fix it. However he did more damage with the fix than the storm ever did. They all want to replace half the roof area." Rick tells her.

"And the interior?" Kate was deflated. Her house was broken.

"They think we got lucky there. The roof repair was recent, so they didn't find any signs of damage. Still they would like to open the ceiling area of the areas where the roof repairs were done to verify there is no damage." Rick explains.

Kate felt better about that. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all. Still it was damaged in one storm, what would happen if there was another?

"Lynda is also going to see if the roof repair was done with a permit." Rick adds. "And I'm wondering if we should have the entire roof replaced with a system that is meant to handle a hurricane." The roof it had now looked like simple shingles. Surely there was something better.

"So now we wait?" Kate guessed from the sound of it.

"Now we wait for what the owner says. Lynda has given them 24 hours to respond. … I'm thinking we should go back out there before we buy it. I want to talk to the neighbors. If this house had damage, maybe theirs did to." Rick was thinking something.

"Aren't the owners supposed to provide full disclosure of any known problems?" Kate was curious. Was this what she saw on Rick's face just now?

Rick smiled at her. "Precisely why I want to go out there and talk to the neighbors. If they knew about the roof but didn't say anything, …. " Rick trails off.

Kate was now smiling too. Her 10 million dollar home may not cost them 10 million after all.

"With this case I'm not sure when my next days off are." Kate had to admit.

"We'll worry about that after we hear back from the owners." Rick offers, getting Kate to nod her head.

The information from CSU on the Davidson residence was in. "Not much here." Kate was hoping for more. Having Rick take it out of her hands.

"How about CSU information on Simmons place?" Kate calls out.

"Another half an hour." Espo responds.

"Kate have you got the information on Morgan and Ross?" Rick was staring at the papers he took from Kate.

"Yeah, …. Here Castle." Kate hands them over. Rick was being quiet which was bugging Kate. "What Castle?"

"They all three received calls from the same phone number." Rick explains. Putting the papers down on her desk. "Here, … isn't this the same date Davidson was paid $50 grand?"

Kate grabbed the papers from Rick back. "The same number for the $50 grand before that." Kate notices. Then turns to her computer. "That number is unlisted."

"Probably a burner phone bought using cash from who knows where." Rick offers up. "How about that nurse?" Rick asks.

Kate pulls out more papers. "Same number on the same day he tried to kill Simmons."

"They all get paid from the same account number in the Caymans, they all get phone calls from the same burner phone." Kate looks it all over.

"What are the odds that phone is still operational?" Rick arches his eyebrows.

"That we can't use without a warrant, and we don't have enough to get one either." Kate knew they needed more.

"You can't, but I can." And Rick gets up and starts walking away.

"CASTLE, where are you going?" Kate calls after him.

"I'm going to go buy a burner phone using cash." Rick was grinning.

"CASTLE!?"


	54. Chapter 54

**CH54**

It took Rick almost an hour to return from buying a burner phone using cash from a store that didn't have any internal security cameras.

Kate is pretty sure she can't make this call legally and have anything they learn from it stand up in court. The judge would likely throw it out. However if the police just happen to overhear this conversation in a public space where privacy is not expected to take place, ….

"You know what you're doing Castle?" Kate was nervous. She wasn't expecting anything big to come from this. Not likely he was going to answer his own burner phone by giving his name. Not likely he was going to say something like. "Yes I ordered someone killed."

"Can we even trace this call?" Kate asks. "We need a tech first, find one and get them up here."

"We've got CSU from Simmons place in while Castle was gone. …. Not you Castle, the other Castle. I mean he Castle." Espo was flopping on the floor like a fish out of water.

Kate was giggling at his discomfort while Ryan was looking for a tech.

The tech was up and setting up her equipment. "Ready."

"Will this work?" Kate asks.

"Depends on how long he stays on-line. We may only get the cell tower they are pinging off of when they answer. And that might be all we will ever get depending on what type of phone they are using." The tech answers her question.

"Castle?" Kate didn't know what to say. Not to Rick or on the phone. This just might give them something they didn't have now.

Rick just smiles since he has an idea. Would he talk? Would it keep him on the phone long enough for the tech?

The phone was cheap, it was a nothing phone. No memory, no speaker. It was little more than an old rotary phone except it was a cell phone.

Rick dialed and held the phone out for everyone to hear. "2374." Comes out over the phone.

Everyone knew those were the last 4 numbers of the number Rick had dialed.

It did however tell them it was a man's voice.

"我想订购的$中国外卖400亿美元。我可以把它捡起来，或者你可以提供。"Rick talks into the phone.

All of them except the tech stare at Rick. Kate especially had a look of. "Where did you learn to speak Chinese?" all over her face.

The line doesn't go dead however the person who answered didn't say anything either.

"我想订购的$中国外卖400亿美元。我可以把它捡起来，或者你可以提供。" Rick tries it again.

Again the line doesn't go dead, but no one responds either. Rick looks up at the tech. Who shakes her head, but does roll her hand in front of her mouth.

Rick took that to mean he needed to keep whoever answered on the phone a little longer.

"你能提供还是我给别人说话？" Rick tries something else.

"Repeat." The male voice over the phone says.

Rick was taken back, repeat what? Rick looked up for help.

Kate covers the phone and whispers. "He wants you to repeat what you said the first time." Kate explains.

"He likely is wanting to record it so he can translate it later." Ryan whispers out.

Rick gets ready to repeat what he said the first time when Kate stops him and looks over at the tech, who nods her head.

Then Kate motions for Rick to talk.

我想订购的$中国外卖400亿美元。我可以把它捡起来，或者你可以提供。" Rick says it once more.

"He hung up." The tech speaks up. So Rick turns the phone off.

"What did you say Castle?" Ryan and the others were dying to know.

"I asked him, "I would like to order $400 million in Chinese takeout. I can pick up or you can deliver."

Kate looks at Rick. "Castle, what the hell?"

Rick started smiling. "Didn't I tell you I know some Chinese?" Rick was playing with her. He already knew he had never told her.

"No Castle, you failed to mention that." Kate was ready to shoot him. And even had her hand up to punch him in the arm, but didn't.

"And the second?" Kate asked.

"Can you deliver or do I speak to someone else?" Rick responds.

Ryan and Espo were left speechless, they didn't know what to think.

Kate however did have a question, and turning to the tech. "Anything?"

"I didn't get an exact location, not that I was expecting to. Burner phones are near impossible to trace. I do however know the closest cell tower it pinged off of." The tech tells her.

"And?" Kate couldn't take much more of this.

"It was a cell tower in DC. It covers pretty much the entire capitol building to be precise." The tech tells them.

It left all of them speechless. "Play it back for us. Maybe there is something in the background that will help us?" Kate snaps out of it first.

They play it five times actually. "There in the background, it's higher pitched. Can you isolate the upper area?" Kate asks the tech.

The tech plays it back again. "It's a woman's voice. See if you can isolate and raise the volume." Kate asks.

"THERE, play it back and raise the volume." Kate asks again.

"Senator?" Comes whispering out of the speakers.

Everyone's mouth falls open and their eyes bug out, even the tech's.

"Can't be! … We're hearing wrong." Espo offers up. He had to be right.

"Everyone into the observation room, … now!" Kate tells everyone.

The doors are closed and even the tech is inside with them. "We heard wrong Castle, it has to be." Espo tries again.

Kate looks at the tech. 'Wrong tower?' written all over her face.

"It pinged off of a tower in DC." The tech confirms.

"Castle?" Ryan questions.

Kate could only stare at all of them.

"That number was used to call Ross, Morgan, Davidson and that nurse. We just need Simmons phone, if he has one." Rick points out.

"It does help explain what Ross said about he knows when you complete the task." Kate points out.

"It explains the fake FBI guys." Ryan adds.

"We're talking about a US Senator." Espo points out.

"We all know politicians lie and are likely corrupt. It's just that they are so rich and control who in the senate gets censored or even evicted. Most just get their hands slapped by other super rich people in the Senate." Rick points out.

"We're talking about hiring killers to kill other killers." Ryan points out. Not spending campaign money for personal vacations for their family. Or writing a book and using the money to fund his campaign. This was different. Way different!

"He's hiring killers to keep Simmons from talking. Probably to cover up where he is getting some of his campaign funds." Kate points out.

"If it got out that he was using drug money to fund his senate campaign the press would crucify him." Rick points out.

"We're talking about a US Senator." Espo hated this. Sounding like a broken record.

"If he is a chairman of one or more of the committees, he could have access to some very powerful people." Rick adds.

"Worse case?" Kate asks her husband.

**Armed Services**

1. Aeronautical and space activities peculiar to or primarily associated with the development of weapons systems or military operations.

2. Common defense.

3. Department of Defense, the Department of the Army, the Department of the Navy, and the Department of the Air Force, generally.

4. Maintenance and operation of the Panama Canal, including administration, sanitation, and government of the Canal Zone.

5. Military research and development.

6. National security aspects of nuclear energy.

7. Naval petroleum reserves, except those in Alaska.

8. Pay, promotion, retirement, and other benefits and privileges of members of the Armed Forces, including overseas education of civilian and military dependents.

9. Selective service system.

Strategic and critical materials necessary for the common defense.

**Intelligence**

"Oversee and make continuing studies of the intelligence activities and programs of the United States Government," to "submit to the Senate appropriate proposals for legislation and report to the Senate concerning such intelligence activities and programs," and to "provide vigilant legislative oversight over the intelligence activities of the United States to assure that such activities are in conformity with the Constitution and laws of the United States."

**Judiciary**

In addition to its critical role in providing oversight of the Department of Justice and the agencies under the Department's jurisdiction, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Homeland Security, the Judiciary Committee plays an important role in the consideration of nominations and pending legislation.

"You're not helping Castle!" Espo moans.

"Possible access to armed service members, black ops, rangers, green berets, airborne, navy seals." Ryan moans.

"Or access to the FBI, CIA, Homeland Security after 9/11." Rick points out.

"**SHIT!"** The tech speaks for the first time. She was just a tech. A damn smart one granted, but this was big. She knew just what the CIA or FBI could do to listen in.

"Sweep the floor for listening devices." Kate tells the tech.

"Floor hell, the entire building. Can we take one home with us?" Rick asks.

"We should have all our homes scanned." Kate adds.

"This is big Castle, maybe too big for us. We're just homicide detectives." Ryan is worried.

"And who do we trust to get help from? The FBI? We've already had one come in and try and get us to hand over Simmons since they couldn't get someone in to kill him." Kate points out.

"**SHIT!" **Comes from the tech again. If he had access to dirty FBI guys, they were in big trouble.

"We need help Castle." Ryan points out, not caring which Castle he is talking to.

"What about that lady FBI agent. Think she's in on it?" Espo offers.

"Ross said he is willing to go after someone's children. She does have a little girl." Kate points out she does have a potential vulnerability.

"So do we Kate." Rick looks at Kate with a little worry in his eyes.

"Alexis!" It hurt Kate's heart to even think it. "I promised to protect her." Had working this case just put her in danger?

"Call her and get her out here Kate. These two are right, we need help. She did pick up Davidson and have him flown back here." Rick points out. "If she was in on it, she wouldn't have let us keep Simmons. She only took Lockwood and the $400 million."

Kate looked at her watch. "Davidson should have landed already and be on his way here." Kate points out.

"Fine!" Kate pulls out her cell phone. Rick however takes it from her. "CASTLE!?" Why did he do that, this was his idea.

Rick doesn't answer, just hands over his burner phone he just got done using.

Kate caught on quickly. "We're going to need more of these." Kate tells Rick and uses her phone to call up the number but uses the burner phone to make the call.

"Hi Jordan, it's Kate. … No he hasn't arrived from the airport yet, but thanks for that. I need another favor. … I know I'm running low on these. I need you here in New York as soon as you can. … Yes just you. …. No I can't. …. Yes it is, very! … thanks Jordan. I'll even cook you dinner at my home. … Yes, Alexis will be there, …. Thanks Jordan." Kate hangs up the phone.

"She'll be out tomorrow." Kate tells them.

"So Alexis is the bait." Rick teases.

"She has a little girl and wanted to see ours." Kate shrugs her shoulders. "We keep this to ourselves till she gets here.

Sweep this floor and then do the entire building, quietly. Then give us one to take home with us. When we are done with it you two can have it. You need to take it home with you too." Kate points out the tech, getting her to nod her head.

"Do not talk about this outside of this room until the sweep is complete." Kate points out. Getting everyone to nod their heads.

"We need that CSU report on Simmons place and we need to be ready to interrogate Davidson when he gets here. Oh and keep digging into Sorenson. I suddenly don't like him very much." Not that she liked him at all already. Not after that fiasco with that 5 year old boy.

Kate opened the door and everyone followed her.

Simmons apartment turned out to be pretty clean. They did however find his burner phone that just happened to have been called by the same number as all the others.

Whatever Simmons was into he didn't do it or handle it at home. "Knew it was too much to ask for. Still we need to find his business address. The drugs and the money get from him to someplace.

Ryan try narcotics, maybe they know something they are willing to share. Espo go down to robbery, see if anything is happening in his area. We need leads people."

Davidson was brought up by a pair of uniforms. "Put him in holding for now." Kate tells them. Watching a quiet Davidson is escorted to holding.

Kate needed to come up with a plan on how to question Davidson. Kate knew things, but no really good hard evidence that he had killed anyone or arranged to have anyone killed.

Maybe she could use the guy who was trying to kill off people who were in police custody. Work her way up to scaring him. He did after all run away after failing.

However she could only hold him for 24 hours, then she would have to charge him with something or let him go. Could he get out of the country fast enough to prevent the guy on the phone from having him killed?

And if this guy really was a US Senator, was any country far enough?

The thought forced Kate to moan. Their possible killer was a god damn US Senator! Then Kate felt someone's hand on her arm. Kate looked down at the hand and then up at its owner. It was Castle who was smiling at her.

Kate placed her hand over his and mouthed "Thank you." It only got Rick to smile wider.

Kate decided that coffee might fix things so she got up and headed for the break room. While pouring herself a cup she could hear her stomach growl. Tasting the coffee only got her to pour it all down the drain.

Then Kate practically jumped out of her shoes. "I'll be right back." And Rick leaned in to kiss her cheek.

"Where you going?" Kate hadn't even heard or noticed he had followed her.

"Go get lunch and something to drink. Something better than that sludge." And Rick disappeared out the door.

Kate walked back to her murder board. What was she missing? CSU was in on everyone. Simmons, Davidson, Ross, Morgan, Williams, the nurse, what's his name. Lanie had told them of everything. LANIE! Shit!

"I'll be back, I'm going down to talk with Lanie." Kate tells the guys, in case Castle makes it back before she does.

"Hi Lanie." Kate finds her sitting doing paperwork.

"Hey girl, what brings you down here?" She didn't have a body at the moment.

"Castle and I want you over for dinner the day after tomorrow. Is that enough notice for you? Or do you have plans." Kate knew Lanie was big on dating. She was looking for Mr. Right and she was only too willing to date everyone in the city it seemed to find him. Not waiting for him to find her.

"The day after tomorrow would be great. Thanks." Rick, Kate and Alexis were her closest friends now.

"Perfect. Nothing fancy so don't dress up much. Just don't go sweatshirt and t-shirt on us." Kate was smiling.

"You mean don't do what you do to relax when you get home." Lanie teases.

This was when it hit Kate. That's exactly what she does when she gets home. Dumps the make-up and changes into baggy unappealing clothes.

Kate is now grateful that Rick still makes love to her almost nightly and again in the morning. She sure hasn't done anything to keep his attention. Kate plants her butt down in one of the chairs heavily.

"You alright Kate? Something wrong?" Lanie was concerned now. Kate had come down here in a much better mood when suddenly it went south, right before her eyes.

"NO." Kate bends over and puts her face in her hands.

"What Kate, are you nauseous suddenly?" Lanie instantly thought medical problem. Was Kate pregnant? She knew they were planning on it. Lanie had even looked her over and done another blood test. Kate came up clean. No problems she could find.

Kate only shakes her head. "You're right, the second I get home I change into something totally unappealing and expect Castle to still be interested in me. I'm practically forcing him into another woman's arms.

God Lanie, what have I done?"

"Girlfriend, there is a better chance of the planet splitting into two pieces before Rick cheated on you, no matter what you wear. You forget his last marriage. It's just not going to happen Kate." Lanie knew Rick too well for that to happen.

"You think so?" Kate was looking for a ray of hope.

"Girl I know so. But if you want to keep that spark alive, you are going to have to come up with a new plan. Before you turn your bed into a dead zone." Lanie knew divorce or cheating wasn't in the cards, but that didn't mean other things would happen, or not happen.

"Like what, I'm new at this Lanie. Rick is the only man I've really had in my life. The only one I want in my life." Kate was still head over heels in love with him, but now that she had him how did she keep him?

"For starters try waiting until bed to take your make-up off. And switch to wearing something sexy when you are home." Lanie offers.

"Parade around in something lacy all night long? Rick might like it, not sure what Alexis will think." Kate countered.

"Girl it doesn't have to be that kind of sexy. Sexy to men is a lot of things. The best is if you give him something to think about without actually showing much if anything.

Go get yourself one of those big oversized t-shirts and wear nothing underneath. And I do mean nothing. Or try wearing one of his dress shirts with panties and socks.

You are covered up for Alexis but it gives Rick something to think about. He knows by now what is underneath those shirts, but the tease of not being able to see it will keep his interest.

And when he can't keep his eyes off you, you'll know it's working to perfection." Lanie offers up her advice. "And all you have to do is change t-shirts or use a different color of shirt from time to time. Freshen up the look once in a while."

Kate suddenly brightened. "Thanks Lanie, you're the best." Kate hugs her and heads back upstairs with a new plan for tonight.

"You can pay me later girlfriend." Lanie calls after her.


	55. Chapter 55

**CH55**

Rick had helped Kate with a plan on what to do when she interrogates Doctor Davidson tomorrow.

Rick had already left the precinct to pick up Alexis from kindergarten a few hours ago.

The tech had finished the sweep of the floor before Rick ever left and she had found nothing. She had finished the rest of the building and Kate was presently taking the equipment home with her to scan the boat.

The tech had found the building clear too, so they were good for now.

"HI MOM!" Alexis was waiting for Kate like she always did.

"Hi pumpkin." Kate swoops her up and starts kissing her while carrying her into the dining room. "How was school?"

"It was great mom." Alexis was beaming.

"So you had fun did you? … Where's your father?" Kate had something for him.

"Typing." Alexis explains.

Kate had to admit having Rick with her in the precinct had certainly increased his time typing. Kate didn't understand how she could be anyone's inspiration, but if it meant he kept typing like this, ….

Kate put Alexis down when she reached his office doorway. "Castle?" Rick just kept typing. "CASTLE!"

That got his attention. "Here you need to use this while I go change." Kate hands over the bug scanner.

Kate was dressed and just waiting on Rick since they were driving to her parents' house to have dinner. Lanie was expected at their place tomorrow. Along with Jordan. Tomorrow was going to be interesting, if not scary.

"Hi mom." Kate greets her mother who answered the door.

Johanna however watches Rick walk right in and start doing something. "Katie?"

"We're doing fine mom, Castle and I are glad for the invite to dinner." Kate tells her.

Johanna doesn't know what is going on, but Katie has never said that before and Rick was acting strange. Then in walks Jim. "Hi Katie."

Then Jim can see both Kate and his wife waving while Kate was slashing her throat. Then he spotted Rick walking around with something.

"Anyone want drinks?" Jim decides to ask. It sounded safe and he couldn't keep quiet.

"Sure dad, apple juice for Alexis would be nice." Kate responds and watches her father go back into the kitchen.

It didn't take long. "They're clean." Rick offers up. Knowing they hadn't found anything at their place either.

"Ok you two, what is going on?" Johanna wanted answers.

"We have a case at work that has gotten critical and we needed to be careful." Kate explains.

"Are we in danger?" Johanna asks. Wondering just how critical this case was.

"We don't think so, but they are likely going to want information to find out if we know something." Rick offers.

"Do you?" Johanna asks.

"Probably better if you don't know mom. If it looks like you don't know anything, you should be safe." Kate tells her.

"I suppose you can't give us a hint?" It was in Johanna's nature to be curious.

Kate shakes her head. "Sorry mom."

Johanna didn't press after that and Jim remained silent through all of it.

Dinner finally got into more comfortable conversations; it wasn't until Alexis started yawning that the evening started breaking up.

"I hope your mother doesn't stick her nose in too far." Rick commented on the drive home.

"Yeah, me too. I'm kinda amazed that she dropped it so easily. I don't remember her being redirected that easily." Kate commented.

"Your memory seems to still be getting better." Rick comments. Normally Kate didn't make comments like that.

"It has actually. There are events that happen and suddenly I remember something. It's kind of weird actually. …. Sometimes it's an item, sometimes it's a place or even a mention of a place and suddenly I remember." Kate was grinning and chuckling.

"Anything on Stanford?" Rick asked.

Kate however shook her head. "Nothing. … It's like I never even went there at all. I don't remember the classes I took. People I met, not even the sunshine of California. Even the look of the buildings I had classes in."

Kate carried Alexis down to bed and got her awake just enough to get her clothes off of her and changed into her PJ's. Then kissed her head. "I love you pumpkin." Getting just a soft moan in return.

"I'll take that as an 'I love you too'." Kate smiles and goes back upstairs.

Kate plops down on the sofa next to Rick and cuddles in close while grabbing hold of his right arm with both hands. "Now what do we do?"

Rick knew just what was on her mind. "We interrogate Davidson tomorrow and probably go back out to the hospital. We really need Simmons to talk. Then we wait for Jordan." Rick offers.

"We need to get Ross and Morgan transferred out of the hospital too. I can't leave them there till they are 100%. That's not the way it works. They are stable now so they get moved." Kate tells him.

"Probably making the people guarding him happy. Probably make the medical staff happy too." Fewer armed uniform officers in their ICU with people coming in trying to kill them all the time.

"Make Captain Montgomery happy too. I have no idea how much money I'm spending on these round the clock guards. I'm probably laying waste to the precinct's budget.

Plus I need to tell Montgomery. I can't keep this to myself and the guys." Kate tells him,

"You tell Roy and he's going to have to go upstairs with it. If this Senator is as connected as even we think, he's going to learn that we are on to him. This makes it past us and it'll get out. It's too big not too." Rick cautions.

"You know the rules just as well as I do Castle. I don't tell him, …." Kate trails off. Rick had helped her prepare for her exam.

"Yeah, I know. It's just the results of telling him that worry me." Rick counters.

"You know him as well as I do Castle. We have a rotating poker party with him and Bob every few weeks. It's scheduled for Bob's place next week isn't it?" Kate reminds him.

"Maybe we should invite the two of them over for dinner with Jordan tomorrow. The topic might destroy dinner, but it kinda sounds like a good idea. … If we can't trust those three, we are in big, big trouble." Rick comments.

"What about Lanie? Do we want to drag her into this too?" Kate knew she was originally the only one invited.

"I hate canceling on her, she's our best friend. But I don't think we have a choice." Rick was really sad about this and Kate could hear it in his voice. This damn case was screwing up everything.

Rick pulled out his cell phone and Kate didn't stop him.

"I am sorry Lanie, we'll make it up to you. I'll try and make reservations at that new restaurant Q3 for all of us. …. Yeah, I'll let you know when. We are sorry Lanie." Rick hung up.

"Lanie took that easier than I thought she would." Kate commented.

"Yeah, she didn't sound that happy about it. Q3 seemed to perk her up though. … Now I gotta go look it up so I can try and make reservations." Rick extracted himself from Kate's arms to look it up.

Rick was back shortly and Kate cuddled back into her place. "That turned out to be easier than I thought. … We've got reservations for four in three days for 5:30."

"Really! The rumors I hear are that it's impossible to get in." Kate points out.

"What can I say, I have the touch." Rick grins while wiggling his fingers.

"I know just what you can do with that magic touch too." Kate points out.

"Looking for a first hand demonstration are we?" Rick went back to grinning.

Kate stood and kept a hold of one of Rick's hands. "Come on Castle, show me what you can do with those hands of yours." And pulls Rick into a standing position and down to the bedroom.

"I'll be in after dropping Alexis off at kindergarten. If you can don't tell Roy until I get there. You shouldn't have to do this alone." Rick asks of her.

"I'll try." Kate tells him and picks up her helmet and meets Alexis at the ramp. "You be a good girl and have fun at school. I'll be home for dinner. We're going to have company over for dinner tonight, so you need to be a very good girl all day today." Kate kisses the top of her head.

"Bye mom." Alexis gave Kate a hug.

Kate parked her bike and shed her leathers and went upstairs. Getting off the elevator she found Ryan and Espo were already here. "This is new." Kate talks to herself.

"Is Montgomery in yet?" Kate asks as she reaches her desk.

"He's downstairs somewhere." Espo tells her.

Kate steps over and hands over the device Kate and Rick had gone home with. "Here, take this home with you. Our place and my parents place were clean but we can't be too careful." Espo put it away with the intent of taking it home with him tonight.

"We telling Montgomery?" Ryan asks, knowing they didn't have a choice.

"Yeah, right after Castle gets in. Then we'll all hit him and bring him up to speed. We need to interrogate Davidson. Might as well go wake him up and move him into an interrogation room." Kate tells them.

Ryan and Espo escort Davidson into interrogation room one. Kate steps inside with her file on him with Espo right behind her. Knowing Ryan is in observation.

Kate dropped her file on the table and sat down and stared at Davidson. Looking at his clothes, knowing where he bought them, knowing how much he spent on them.

"Doctor Davidson, you have expensive taste. Your apartment alone is $12 million dollars." Kate starts out.

"Liking nice things isn't a crime." Josh counters.

"You're mortgage payment alone exceeds your yearly salary." Kate adds.

"I have some debt." Josh admits.

"And yet you manage to make all your payments. How is that doctor Davidson?" Kate questions.

"I work long hours and I'm blessed with helpful friends." Josh points out.

"Long hours? Really? According to your supervisor you come in habitually late and leave early, forcing the rest of the staff to cover for you." Kate points out.

"I don't know what you are talking about. I arrive an hour early and leave only after my time is up." Josh counters.

"Not according to the chief of staff Dr. Holton. In fact he has called you out on it several times. In fact he threatened to fire you the last time you two talked. He indicated that you swore you would change and begged him to keep you." Kate countered.

"It was a simple misunderstanding on when my hours were." Josh explains.

"Your friends. Like the one that has been paying you $50 grand amounting to $150 grand a year. My kind of friend. Perhaps you can introduce me to him." Kate offers.

"I don't think you're his type." Josh declines.

"My type. Probably not since your receipt of these payments happens to coincide with people in your hospital dying." Kate points out not showing any emotion still.

"People die in hospitals every day. Some are too far gone to save." Josh counters.

"Yes, except these all die the day after you get $50 grand in your bank account from the very same offshore account. The very same account that others have received $30 grand from to kill the man in your hospital.

The same person you tried to gain access to after receiving your $50 grand payment came from the very same account." Kate points out. Getting Josh to remain silent.

Kate places a bag on the table with a cell phone inside it. "Recognize it? … You should, we found it inside your apartment. You received a phone call on it from the very same number just before you received your $50 grand payments. Just like all the others that received their $30 grand payments."

Josh however remains silent.

"Ok, let's try this. I have 3 men in the hospital. I have 2 of those 3 confessing to receiving $30 grand to kill someone. The very same someone you received $50 grand to kill. I've also got a nurse in your same hospital who has confessed to receiving $30 grand to kill that very same person.

They all got their money from the very same account you got your money from. And they were all contacted by the very same number. Including yours. Funny how that is.

Oh by the way, we found this in your apartment too." Kate drops another bag on the table. "It's called Scoplomine, otherwise known as the zombie drug. When used in large doses it leaves a person susceptible to doing exactly what he is told to do. Like kill someone for instance.

Care to guess whose apartment we found it in?" Kate offers up, using up several of her cards.

"I have you as an accessory to attempted murder Mr. Davidson. You tell me what I want to know and maybe the prosecutor will go easy on you. But I don't really need you, since I have 3 others that have.

And since the person who hired you is trying to cover himself by sending still more hired killers to get rid of people like you, you have a choice. Tell me what I want to know or you can take your chances that the person who hired you won't kill you too.

But then I'm betting you already know that since you tried running to Miami. Very stupid of you to use your credit card at an ATM machine. If I can find you, so can he." Kate sits back and waits.

Kate and Espo exited the room. "Put him back in holding. Maybe he'll think it over while he is there. Or have someone pay $30 grand to get rid of him. Or just wait until he is in the prison yard." Kate watches Ryan and Espo take Davidson back to holding while watching her husband exit the elevator.

Rick had spotted Davidson. "How did it go?" Stepping up to Kate.

"It didn't. I'm letting him stew about it for a while longer before taking another crack at him." Kate answers his question. Dropping her files on her desk.

"Maybe he doesn't know who it is and doesn't believe he is in any trouble. You don't have much on him to keep him in prison long. Maybe he doesn't see a year or two as that bad a thing." Rick offers.

"If he even makes it to prison." Kate sits in her chair and thinks about what next to do.

Rick sits in the chair/torture device next to her desk. "Roy not in?" Rick didn't see him.

"The guys said he was downstairs somewhere. What did Bob say?" Kate knew he was going to call him this morning.

"He'll be there. … I was thinking of getting your parents to watch Alexis tonight. It's going to be a tense night." Rick had thought it up on the drive here.

"Except Jordan is expecting to see her, and she's five Castle. Just how much of what she overhears is she going to remember?" Kate knew Jordan was keen on meeting Alexis.

"It was just a thought. Maybe we can put some of her toys down by the piano so we can watch over her while we talk." Rick offers a compromise, getting Kate to nod her head.

To be honest her mind was on what to tell Roy.

"We've got 100 Senators and most if not all are men." Rick hadn't kept up with how many women were in the system, if any at all. "Or maybe it was someone using a Senator's office to take the call while he was out." Rick offers up.

Kate just looks at him funny, not believing that for a second.

"No, I didn't think so either.. …. Jordan better not be in on this Kate, or our lives aren't going to be worth very much. Though it might cost him more than 50 this time." Rick tried to smile and make a joke out of it.

Looking at Kate's face it hadn't worked. To be honest it had sounded better in his head.

Then both Rick and Kate watch Roy walk past them and into his office, leaving the door open.

"No time like the present." Kate offers and stands along with Rick and both head for his office.

Kate knocks on the door frame. "Got a moment sir?"

"Sure, what's on your mind Castle? Have you interrogated that guy in holding yet? Davidson." Roy starts off with.

"Yes sir, just this morning." Kate sits down and Rick closes the door and sits next to her.

This had Roy's attention as his eyebrows arch up and waits.

"It's about the Simmons case sir." Kate starts.

"They guy who was tortured and left for dead, except he's not and is over in the hospital under guard." Roy offers up.

"Yes sir, that's the one. … No sooner than we got him there someone sent a Hal Lockwood to kill him we think. Castle recognized him from the photo we got off the sniper that had his prints.

With him were two more guys at the hospital, ..." Kate is interrupted by Roy.

"Also in the same hospital, also under guard." Roy points out.

"Yes sir, except those two are being transferred out today. Those two confessed to being hired to kill Simmons for $30 grand each.

After they failed we caught a nurse trying to inject an air bubble into Simmons. Again for $30 grand. Then doctor Davidson tried to gain access to Simmons, and we have since found he was paid $50 grand." Kate pauses to let him absorb all that.

"A doctor is worth more." Roy comments.

"We found all of them had burner phones and all of them received calls from the very same number that turned out to also be a burner phone. Also all of them were paid from the very same account in the Caymans." Kate pauses again.

"Good luck getting that bank in the Caymans to tell you anything. Let alone who owns that burner phone." Roy points out.

"Yes sir, but about that phone. We do have a lead on who owns that phone." Kate tells him, getting closer to the big part.

Roy leaned forward. "I'm listening."

"We used a different burner phone to call that number to see if we could get the person on the other end to talk." Kate tells him.

"WE?" Roy thought his detective knew better than that. Anything she found out would likely get thrown out in court.

"Actually I did. I made the call in a public place where privacy was not to be expected. It was only good fortune that Kate, Ryan and Espo HAPPENED to be there at the time." Rick speaks up for the first time.

"I see." Roy's opinion of his detective and Rick just improved.

"He didn't say much, however we had a tech to try and trace the call. A long shot I know, however we did find out what cell tower his phone pinged off of." Kate tells him.

Roy's eyes open wide, but continues to listen.

"It was a cell tower in DC. The capital building to be more precise." Kate tells him.

Roy was now very happy that he was playing poker with these two every few weeks. Roy was scared now. These two were close, maybe too damn close.

"We also recorded the call. After playing it back several times we found something in the background." Kate paused since the next part was the bomb she still had to drop on him.

Roy just sits there and does his best to keep his poker face intact and waits. _What did they hear? Do they have his name?_

"We heard a woman call out the word "Senator", as if she wanted his attention." Kate tells him.

It took everything Roy had to not react. They knew a senator was involved, just not his name. Still they were close, really damn close.

"Senator?" Roy questions, not trusting himself to say more.

"Yes sir. The person who called all these hired killers is a Senator, using a single account out in the Caymans to pay them." Kate finishes and searches her captain for what he is thinking.

"There are 100 of them detective, I suppose you have a plan to cut that number down to one?" Roy needed to know just how close they were.

"Yes sir, one. … Ok maybe two. Just not sure about that one." Kate answers his question. Actually both of them were not much more than prayers.

"Keep on it detective. Senator or no, if he's dirty he needs to go down." Roy could only hope. Maybe Castle(s) would save him, or get both of them killed.

"Get back to work detective and keep up the good work." Roy dismisses them.

"Yes sir." Kate rises and takes Castle out of his office with her.

Rick motioned they guys into the break room and took Kate with him. "Did you see him?" Rick looks only at Kate.

"He's my boss Castle." Kate moans. Kate had seen it too.

Ryan and Espo however were looking at these two waiting for an explanation.

"We play poker with him and the mayor every few weeks. It's just for fun. Money is involved, just not that much of it. None of us are going to get rich playing." Rick explains.

"We told him everything and he blinked. … I don't mean literally blinked, but you can sometimes read him during the game. He blinked." Kate explains.

"I don't know how, but he knows." Rick tells them.

They both look through the partially open blinds that look out and across to his office.

Roy picked up his desk phone convinced he needed to call, then put it back down. Then sat back in his chair.

Roy opened a drawer and pulled out a burner phone and started dialing. …. Then suddenly stopped and closed it and dropped it back in the drawer.

If he didn't call he would be putting his family in danger. He would have them killed and Roy knew it.

Roy slowly closed the drawer. They were close, so damn close. If it worked out they would expose him and catch him and he would be free. After all these damn years, FREE!


	56. Chapter 56

**CH56**

No lawyer came for Davidson and he had remained silent so they left him in holding. If they didn't have him talking by tomorrow they would release him and let him take his chances with the Senator who had hired him.

If he was still alive the following day, they would pick him up and arrest him for what they had on him.

A call to the hospital indicated that Simmons was still out cold. The doctors were actually trying to keep him under. If he was awake he would be in severe pain and unlikely be able to talk to anyone. When they could talk to him? The doctors didn't know. A few days, a few weeks.

Rick had already left to go pick up Alexis from school and then start working on dinner since they were going to have guests.

Kate and the guys we're looking into trying to figure out who was a possible person that Davidson had shot full of Scoplomine to do his killing for him. They were taking his life apart piece by piece over the last 4 years.

"Kate, how are things?" Jordan walked off the elevator and approached her desk.

Kate spun like Jordan had shoved a pin in her butt. "Get back in the elevator. I'll be right there." Kate whispered out.

Jordan wasn't slow but was surprised and turned around and walked back to the elevator and held it open for Kate and waited.

Kate quickly shut down her computer and told the guys to go home. They would work on Davidson again tomorrow. Kate took her leathers off her coat rack and walked quickly for the elevator.

Kate stood ram rod straight without looking at Jordan. Jordan however was staring at Kate studying her.

Kate walked over to her bike and started putting on her leathers. "I need you to follow me home. We can talk there. … Please Jordan." Kate tried not to beg.

Jordan simply nodded and walked for her car.

Kate was putting her bike away as Jordan walked up to the storage area. "You didn't tell me you rode." Jordan points out. Then Jordan saw the other bike. "Ricks?"

"Yeah, we go out riding as a family on occasion. It's so much fun." Kate was grinning wide. The vision of them she had in her head always had her smiling.

"Family? With your daughter?" Jordan was smiling now too.

"She has her own leathers and helmet. She loves it. Castle moans that I've turned her into a rebel. …. She's so cute." Kate loved seeing her.

Kate walked her to the boat. "You live HERE?" Jordan's eyes were open wide.

"Castle bought it before I ever met him. It's really nice, I love it." Kate starts walking up the ramp.

"Hi mom!" Alexis was waiting for Kate like always.

"Hi pumpkin." Kate scoops her up and starts kissing her. "Pumpkin this is Jordan, she's going to be staying with us tonight. Jordan this is Alexis, my daughter."

Jordan hadn't missed the staying with us tonight part, but stayed silent on the topic for now. "Hi Alexis. You know I have a daughter at home just about your age. I love her a lot. Next time I'll have to bring her with me. She would be happy to see you." Jordan reached in and lightly shook her hand.

Kate carried Alexis inside and Kate saw that the table was empty, meaning Castle probably had them eating outside on the roof deck tonight. "Where's your father pumpkin?" Kate asked her, giving her another kiss.

"He's with uncle Bob." Alexis tells her.

"This way Jordan." And Kate starts walking. Jordan kinda follows. It's difficult to walk straight when you head is on a swivel looking at everything.

Jordan was already impressed. The dining room was unique and gorgeous. And she hadn't missed the piano at the entrance.

Kate puts Alexis down as she reaches the entrance to the kitchen and walks past it towards the living room.

Jordan however stops at the entrance to the kitchen. "You cook in there?" Jordan points at it and was shocked. It looked like they cooked outside practically except it was inside.

Kate smiles. "Looks can be deceiving." Kate offers and walks into the living room.

Jordan has to hustle to catch up and steps into the living room and her eyes bug out. This room was equally amazing. "Hi Bob, glad you could come." Kate gives Bob a fake kiss to his cheek and gets one in return.

"Bob, this is Agent Jordan Shaw. Jordan this is Mayor Bob Weldon." Kate does the introductions.

Bob offers his hand. "Agent Shaw, I've heard good things about you. It's a pleasure to meet you and put a face to the name."

Jordan takes his hand. "Mayor Weldon. I have a good team."

"Please, call me Bob." Bob corrects her.

"Jordan." Jordan was willing to make things personal.

"Ok Rick, what have you got us here for?" Bob was dying to find out what was going on. Especially now that a respected FBI agent was in attendance.

"We're eating on the roof tonight. Dinner is ready, we just have to move up there." Rick offers Bob to go upstairs.

Bob looks at him not liking the delay, but goes anyway. With Jordan following.

Kate goes with Rick into the kitchen. "I hope they don't shoot us for this." Kate was still a little worried about this.

"Like we have a choice." Rick counters. "Here's the salad pumpkin. Take it upstairs for me." Rick hands her a bowl that has plastic wrap covering it.

Alexis takes the bowl and goes up the stairs one step at a time.

"WOW!" Jordan can't contain it anymore.

"Their home is unique isn't it?" Bob was grinning.

"It's gorgeous! And the view!" Jordan started spinning in place. Harbor on one side and the city skyline on the other.

Jordan was still looking around when Alexis showed up carrying a big bowl. "Here give me that sweetheart." Jordan takes the bowl from her and places it on the table. "You live here?" Jordan needed to hear it.

"Yup, cool huh." Alexis liked the place. It was her home.

Jordan smiled. "Very cool."

Rick and Kate showed up shortly. "Hope you two are hungry. I've been cooking since I picked up Alexis from school." Rick tells them.

"You're in school? … What grade?" Jordan looks at Alexis.

"I'm in kindergarten." Alexis state proudly.

"Do you like school?" Jordan asks her.

"Yup, it's cool. My teacher does things with us. Play with other kids. Then we have to take a nap." Alexis states proudly.

Dinner:

**Pulled Pork Potstickers- **bbq dipping sauce

**Tomato Basil Soup**- basil creme fraiche

**Hearts of Romaine Salad**- asiago cheese, creamy parmesan dressing and roasted garlic crustini

**Roasted Chicken Breast- **mashed potatoes and roasted garlic jus

**Bread Pudding **- crème anglaise

"I love your place you two. I don't know how you cooked all this in that kitchen though." Jordan was still lost about that.

Rick was smiling and Kate was giggling. "We'll give you a tour after dinner since you will be spending the night here." Kate tells her.

"I have a hotel room already reserved." Jordan counters.

"Call and cancel. We have 4 spare bedrooms. I'm sure you'll like one of them. Besides it comes with meals, not just breakfast." Rick tells her.

"Thanks." It looked like Jordan was staying. Besides she got to spend time with Alexis.

They were eating the chicken. "Why are we here?" Bob couldn't take it any longer.

Rick and Kate look at each other.

"It started with Lockwood and that $400 million in cash in those trucks. As you know Lockwood showed up at the hospital with two more as backup. We think he was there to kill Simmons." Rick starts off.

"After that I caught a nurse trying to put an air bubble in his arm." Kate supplies. This got Jordan to raise an eyebrow.

"After him came a doctor who tried to gain access to Simmons. We're sure to do something similar." Rick adds.

"We got the two with Lockwood and the nurse to give confessions about what they know. The two with Lockwood were paid $30 grand and the doctor was paid $50 grand. All of these payments came from the same account in a bank in the Caymans." Kate adds.

"Then we found burner phones on all of them, including Simmons. All of them received a phone call the day before their attempts at killing Simmons." Rick adds. "All from the same number. … It was unlisted."

Jordan knew what that meant.

"We had the number so we decided to use it. Maybe whoever was on the other end would say something that would help us." Kate added.

"I made the call in a public location using a burner phone I had just bought. … This very one here in fact." Rick pulls it out of his pocket and places it on the table.

"Myself, detectives Ryan and Esposito just happened to be in the area and overheard Castle's phone call." This got Jordan to smile at them. These two were ingenious. Now how does she get them on her team?

"We happened to have a tech with us with all her equipment. We anticipated the phone to be a another burner phone, still we were hoping we could trace it." Kate adds.

"It was a long shot at best, still the tech was hoping to at least find out what cell tower it pinged off of." Kate now added.

"I tried to give him something to think about so I asked him a question.

"我想订购的$中国外卖400亿美元。我可以把它捡起来，或者你可以提供。" Rick was grinning since he thought it was cute.

"It's Chinese for "I would like to order $400 million in Chinese takeout. I can pick up or you can deliver." It got Jordan to chuckle, since she knew about the $400 million. She HAD to get these two on her team now.

"Since I didn't get a response, I asked him again. However I still got nothing so I asked something different next. "你能提供还是我给别人说话？"

"Which means, "Can you deliver or do I speak to someone else?" It got Jordan to chuckle a little louder this time.

"He stayed on the line and asked for me to repeat the first line again, so I did. After that he hung up. We're thinking he wanted to record it so he could translate it later, but didn't have the ability to record immediately available." Rick concludes his portion of the story.

"The tech naturally couldn't trace the call, like we suspected. However she did manage to determine what cell tower it pinged off of." Kate tells them, and then remains silent.

"And?" Bob asks.

"It pinged off of a cell tower in DC." Kate let that sink in for a moment. "The capitol building to be precise." Kate adds.

This got both Jordan and Bob to stop eating and sit back in their seats. "Capital building? You're sure?" Jordan questions.

Kate and Rick both nod their heads. "Jesus!" Bob moans.

"It gets worse." Kate tells them. Getting Bob to show a face of "How can it get any worse?"

"We recorded the entire phone call." Kate tells them. Kate then pushes a flash drive across the table to Jordan. "This is a recording of the entire conversation."

Jordan takes it and looks at it, wondering what her tech people could do with it. What was on it that these two hadn't heard?

"There's more. … We had our tech play it back and try and listen to just the background instead of his voice. … Yes it sounded like a guy." Kate tells them. "Not that he said more than two words.

And we found something." Kate tells them.

Bob started looking between the two waiting. Jordan however saw fear in their eyes. "You two are scared." Jordan made it a statement. She was a profiler after all. She could read people.

Kate nodded her head. "It was just one word. It sounded female. Like she was in the background somewhere trying to get his attention.

Just one word." Kate tells them. Like Rick, Kate had stopped eating too. Now she was playing with her hands under the table. Yes, she was scared.

Scared of what was on that flash drive and scared about the possibility that these two were in on it.

"It was SENATOR." Rick tells them.

Jordan almost dropped the flash drive that was in her hand. And started looking at these two. What had they stumbled into?

"**SHIT!"** Bob found his voice first. Bob was ready to hurl his dinner.

"All of that is on this drive?" Jordan asks. Getting both of them to nod their head.

Jordan takes the drive and shoves down her blouse and into her bra. "Who knows?" Jordan asks.

"Me, Kate, Ryan, Esposito, the tech, her boss Captain Montgomery, and now you two." Rick supplies the answer.

"GOOD, try and keep it that way. If he is on the right committee he will be receiving briefings from the FBI on secret material. If this makes it past you he'll hear about it and you two and the others are as good as dead." Jordan couldn't believe what these two had stumbled into.

"Is your work secure?" Jordan suddenly has fears.

Kate nods her head. "We had the entire precinct swept yesterday, as well as our home and my parent's home. All came up clean. Espostio and Ryan are doing theirs tonight."

"Plus I'm having a security system installed here starting tomorrow. With so many operable windows and doors, I've decided to turn the dock area into a WWI mine field. There will be infrared trip wires all over, connected to flood lights and a panel inside somewhere along with an alarm on the boat.

If the alarm persists, the security company will start calling people that are on their list. If they get no one they call the police. I've already told them that this place is blue." Rick explains.

"Blue?" Jordan hadn't heard that one before.

"Kate is NYPD, so if they are called, the response will be faster and bigger." Rick explains.

"We protect our own." Kate explains. "All 33,000 of us."

"I'll take this home with me and get my team to work on it. Maybe two words is enough. … Not to worry, it'll all be off the books. I do however need to talk with your Captain. He takes this to anyone it will make it into an FBI briefing fast." Jordan needs to talk to him first thing.

"Any clues on which one? There are 100 of them after all." Bob asks.

Kate shakes her head. "Simmons is known to be involved with drugs. We're guessing he is selling them and giving part or all of it to him so he can fund his campaign. Re-election or whatever. Since all of this has happened here in New York City, …." Kate trails off.

"You're thinking the two senators for New York are at the top of that list." Bob offers.

"We need to get to your Captain, tonight. Before he does anything. He takes this to your commissioner or district attorney, …. " Jordan trails off this time.

"What do you want me to do?" Bob asks.

"I need you to go over with your staff everything you have ever done with or for either of them. Who did you go see? Who came to see you or him? What fund raisers did you both attend, and anything else you can think of." Jordan tells Bob.

"I only know one of them that well, since we are both with the same party." Bob points out.

"I'm aware of that, still it will give me something to work with. I need you two to keep Simmons alive. Someone wants him dead, which tells me he knows this person. And he can't have you or anyone else learning what he knows." Jordan adds.

"I've got two uniforms on him right now. They have orders after the nurse and doctor. No one gets in that isn't on the pre-approved list and even then they are searched. Including any drugs or anything else they bring in with them." Kate tells her.

"Run that list again. If Simmons knows who he is, he has to make sure he remains silent. He has to find a way to get to him." Jordan cautions. "Now take me to your captain. You do know where he lives?"

Kate nods her head. "We have a rotating poker game between us. Bob's house is the next location for it."

"Let's go then and pray he hasn't done anything yet." Jordan gets up and goes down the stairs.

"Go ahead Kate, I'll stay here with Alexis." Rick tells her.

"I'm going home and get my staff ready to start that search." Bob follows her.

"You be careful Kate. You think Rochefort is the one who tortured Simmons?" Rick whispers after both Bob and Jordan are gone.

"It fits his profile according to 117." Kate confirms. "He left Simmons alive! According to 117 that would be because Simmons told him what he needed to know."

"You think this Senator is his target?" Rick questions trying to connect the dots.

"It fits." Kate agrees.

"Don't do anything without me Kate. You've had training and we've been practicing together, but this guy is an assassin. 117 lost one person because of him. I can't lose you because of this. It'll break my heart and it'll destroy her." Rick nods over at Alexis who was still sitting at the table.

"I promise babe, I won't do anything without you. I can't lose you either." Kate kisses him.

"Kate?" Jordan calls up the stairs.

"Coming!" Kate calls back down. "I'll call you. Maybe you should take Alexis over to my parents tonight, just in case."

"Come on pumpkin, we're going over to grams and gramps." Rick would clean up later.


	57. Chapter 57

**CH57**

Jordan was driving with Kate as navigator. "You alright over there? Except for turn left or turn right, you've been quiet."

"Yes, … No, …. I don't know. Muggers who kill someone, a boyfriend kills his girlfriend because she's cheating on him, someone goes postal because his CEO laid him off and he thinks his life is over is one thing. This is something else. …. left at the light. …. How do you combat someone like him?

He has money and access and apparently no morals." Kate really was scared, just trying to hold it together since she didn't have a choice.

"You're thinking of Alexis." Jordan understood it.

"YES! She got lost in a department store and it scared me. She rode her bike over the side of the dock and I was even more scared. … go straight. …. Then some pervert picked her up at a museum. And I attacked him not even thinking of what would happen to me. It was only after it was over was I scared out of my mind that I almost lost her again.

Turn right and the third house down on the right." Kate explains.

"Now you've got some Senator who won't think twice about hurting your daughter to get to you." Jordan could relate.

"You have the same problem now if you help us." Kate points out.

Jordan stops the car out front and turns it off. "I have an advantage you don't have yet. This is your first time at this, not for me. I've learned how to deal with it. Plus my husband is very supportive.

What I do isn't for everyone. I miss my daughter yes, and I'm missing things as she grows up and yes it hurts. It's a price I pay to do what I do.

Too many agents are disconnected from their families. They have paid a heavy price to do what they do. Still others handle it even better than I do. Having a wife or husband who supports you is hugely important.

Kate, … I would dearly love to have you and maybe even Rick on my team. You two or even you alone would do great." Jordan gives a light offer, not trying to pressure her.

"Thanks, but I'm not a good choice. I didn't even finish college." Kate points out.

"There are exceptions to that Kate. It's not all about having a degree in something. College doesn't really prepare you for the real world of an FBI agent." Jordan knew ways around that.

"Maybe, but my past after you dug into it would expose things that would quickly rule me out. I count myself lucky that the NYPD didn't dig that deep or I wouldn't even be here." Kate points out.

"It can't be that bad Kate." Jordan didn't believe a word of it.

Kate just smiled at her, but didn't answer.

_What had she done to make her so sure? She might be surprised what some team members like herself could overlook if they thought they found the right person._

"Also Castle and I are actively working on expanding our family. Moving from city to city or relocating to DC is out. This is our home." Kate tells her, sure that would put a stop to it.

"I lived where you do, I wouldn't want to move either." Jordan was still amazed at their place and hadn't even had a complete tour yet.

Kate just smiled. "Shall we?" Kate opened her car door.

"KATE!" Evelyn is surprised to see her.

"Hi Evelyn, we need to see Roy." This was their home, so it was the only place Kate felt comfortable using his first name.

"He's locked himself in his study. He's been in there ever since he got home. I couldn't even get him to eat dinner." Evelyn lets them in. "Maybe you can get him to talk." She didn't like the mood her husband was in.

"Thanks Evelyn." Kate heads for his study, knowing just where it is.

Kate knocks but when she doesn't get a response she opens the door and finds Roy sitting in his chair with his head on his desk.

Roy's head snaps up when he notices Kate enter. "Detective?" Then he leans his head to one side. "The next poker game is at Bob's next week, isn't it." Roy was wondering if he was really that gone.

"Yes sir, it is. But we're not here for that." Kate agrees.

"We?" And then he sees Jordan enter the room and close the door behind her.

"Jordan, this is Captain Roy Montgomery, Roy this is Agent Jordan Shaw." Kate provides introductions.

Kate had his attention now. "Captain Montgomery." Jordan offers her hand.

Roy stands and takes it. "We need to talk." Kate offers up and sits in one of the chairs.

Jordan sits in the other. "I need to know if you have discussed what your learned with anyone else yet." Jordan gets right to the point.

Roy looks between the two of them. "No, I should have, but I didn't."

"You know." Kate could see it even more clearly now. He looked tired and it was written all over his face this time, unlike in his office earlier. "You know don't you?"

This caught Jordan by surprise, even she hadn't caught the tired look on Roy's face. Jordan was going to re-double her efforts to get Kate and hopefully Rick on her team now.

Roy deflated. He really was tired. Tired of everything about this.

Roy opened a lower drawer and pulled out a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle's Family Reserve 15yr, along with 3 Solo plastic cups since he only had one glass. Not expecting company.

Roy pours at a little for each of them including one for himself.

Roy knocks his drink back and pours out a little more, leaving the bottle on his desk where either of the two could reach it.

Roy started playing with his cup in both hands. "I was just a rookie. Fresh out of the academy. Gung ho, green, naive and stupid. Ever so stupid.

I was assigned to a pair of detectives. Raglan and McAlister.

It was a different time back then. The city was practically run by the mod back then. There were almost as many crooked judges and there were crooked cops. The mob got away with everything and anything. Even if they did get busted by good cops, there was a judge that would let them off.

Raglan and McAlister decided they had, had enough. So they started going around kidnapping these guys and ransoming them back to their gang. They were making thousands for each one. I don't know how many millions those two had already racked up by the time I came along.

I was young and stupid." Roy stopped and closed his eyes. When he opened them again he took another drink. "I don't know how i got to be so stupid.

The next mob member that they had selected was a guy named Joe Pulgatti. We had him cornered in this dead end alley. Well it's a dead end alley now. Back then it had an entrance to this bar, long since closed now.

We had him cornered, then this other guy came out the door right behind him. After that, everything went straight to hell.

The second guy out ended up dead. It didn't take long to figure out that he was an undercover Fed.

Raglan and McAlister were scared and decided to arrange to have Pulgotti take the fall for it. He's been in prison ever since. He deserves to be in prison, just that he didn't kill the guy he was convicted of killing.

His word against the word of 3 cops. Pretty much a done deal.

It didn't stop Raglan and McAlister though. Pick up others and ransom them back to their very own mob or the competition. Whichever one paid more.

Just one problem, a young, ambitious and ruthless in every sense of the word assistant district attorney had figured it out. He decided to blackmail those 3 cops. Give him the money from the ransoms or he would rat them out.

Those 3 would spend the rest of their short lives in jail. Cops in prison, dirty or no, don't last long.

He used the money to fund his first campaign. On the outside the public loves him. He says all the right things, just what the public wants to hear. He even manages to do a few of the things he promises to do.

Problem is, getting elected is getting more and more expensive. First it was just a few million, now you need hundreds of millions. Problem is, to get all that money you have to become beholding to various people or companies. Do what they want.

Plus they will dig into your past to verify you are worthy of their money." Roy pauses.

"This is where Simmons comes in. He sells drugs and gets the coverage of this guy to keep him out of jail and allow him to live a life of luxury." Kate points out.

"Simmons provides him with hundreds of millions every couple of months. He probably has billions, in cash, socked away somewhere. He doesn't have to answer to anyone.

And anyone who gets close to his secret ends up dead." Roy tells them.

"What have you done?" Jordan talks for the first time. Roy wasn't dead, so what had he done or was still doing.

"I'm his mole inside the NYPD. I don't keep him updated of things inside the NYPD and my family gets picked up, tortured, probably with me watching, just before we are all killed." Roy explains.

"That's why you said you should have told someone, but hadn't yet." Kate had remembered his earlier words.

Jordan was even more impressed with Kate now. Kate was on her team now, somehow. She would find a way.

"I should have called him right after your update on the Simmons case. I almost did, twice." Roy tells them.

"Please tell me you didn't." Jordan asks him.

Roy shakes his head. "If I had, there would be a team on their way right now to kill Kate, Rick and Alexis. You don't know his name, but you are already too close for him.

So close and I'm tired of seeing people die because of his greed for power. You're good Kate, really good. You could easily be great. You and Rick could do great things for the city of New York.

And I've gotten close to you and your family. ... Damn poker games. … I decided to pray that you could catch him. I might end up in prison anyway for what I've already done. But I just couldn't add the deaths of your family to my already tortured soul.

I'll find a way to protect my family somehow." Roy really just wanted to be free. In or outside of prison.

"Who Roy, tell me who." Kate pleads.

"You need to be careful Kate. He'll think nothing of having you killed to keep his secret." Roy cautions.

"That's what she has me for." Jordan tells him. If Jordan was going to get Kate on her team, she needed to be alive, and so did her family.

"Hi grams!" Alexis stepped inside and hugged Johanna since she answered the door.

"Hi honey." Johanna hugged her back.

Alexis took off looking for Jim so she could give and get another hug, and maybe even a treat since she knew Jim was a soft touch.

"Come on in Rick, what gets you over here so late?" And unexpected Johanna adds to herself.

"Kate's case is getting more complicated. We need to see if Alexis can spend the night here." Rick drops a duffel bag on the floor next to the sofa filled with stuff for Alexis.

"That bad?" The swept her home for bugs the last time they were here.

"Possibly. If you can keep her tomorrow too, that would be even better." Rick asks, knowing he is asking for a lot.

"We can do it." Jim offers up, having heard most of it.

"Doesn't she have school tomorrow?" Johanna questions.

"Keep her here with you. Kate or I will be over to get her when we can." Rick tells them.

They were both worried now. "Please don't let Katie do something stupid Rick." They wanted their daughter back, and him too.

"I'll do what I can. Try not to worry." Rick offers knowing they will do just that anyway.

Rick steps up to Alexis who was in Jim's arms. "You be a good girl pumpkin. Do what your grams and gramps tell you to do. Your mother and I will be back soon." Rick leans in and kisses her forehead.

"Daddy?" It didn't sound right to Alexis.

"Everything will be fine pumpkin. You just stay here and be a good girl." Rick heads for the front door.

"Stay safe Rick." Johanna closes the door behind him and locks it. Then tours the house locking everything she can find. Then goes looking for hers and Jim's cell phones.

"How much trouble are we in?" Kate asks as she directs Jordan back to the boat.

"He is privy to sensitive briefings that the FBI gives, he also has access to more people like Lockwood." Jordan was forced to admit.

Jordan had already called her team to fly into New York overnight, and to do it without talking to anyone. She trusted them. They were all handpicked by Jordan, just like Kate was handpicked, even if she wasn't on her team. YET!

"You should know that we had an FBI guy come into the precinct to try and get us to hand over Simmons to him." Kate warns her.

Jordan snaps her head over to look at Kate. "WHO?" This was news she didn't need.

"A guy named Will Sorenson. I've dealt with him earlier. It was a kidnapping case of a 5 year old boy. I thought he was a flat face, flat jawed, flat head. All he could do was quote FBI procedures. It took my training officer and I to find the boy." Kate explains.

Jordan was stewing. They had a local leak in the FBI that she had to deal with. Then Kate's cell phone vibrated. "Castle."

Kate listened for a moment. "Keep him out if you can. Help is coming." Kate hung up and then immediately redialed.

"I need two units to St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center. I want them on Simmons room who is in ICU. No one, absolutely no one is to be allowed in." Kate hangs up.

Jordan was looking at Kate while sitting at a light.

"That was dispatch, seems there is an Agent Sorenson outside Simmons room demanding entrance." Kate tells her.

"Take me there." Jordan growls out.

"Take a right here." Kate tells her and watches Jordan cut across traffic and run a red light.

Jordan only took redlights as suggestions and passed as many cars as she could. Then parked just outside the door leading to the ICU area that Kate had pointed out.

Even Kate and her long legs had to hustle to keep up with Jordan.

Jordan strode right up to who she figured was agent Sorenson, since the other 4 were wearing NYPD blue's. "Special Agent Jordan Shaw, Deputy to the Executive Assistant Director of the Criminal Investigation Division." Jordan shows him her ID.

"You are agent Sorenson?" Jordan asks him. "ANSWER ME!" Jordan growls at him.

"Yes ma'am." Will barely mumbles out. This lady was several ranks above him. She was literally only 3 ranks below Director.

"Give me your ID and your service weapon." Jordan order him. **"NOW**, soon to be ex-agent Sorenson." Jordan holds out her hand.

Will finally hands over his ID and service weapon, seeing that Kate had her hand on her weapon as did the 4 uniform officers he had been trying to bully his way past. He was after all an agent of the FBI. It should have been simple.

"Agent Sorenson, you are hereby suspended pending a supervisory review of your actions. You will report to your local supervisor before 7:00 am tomorrow. Your name will be placed on the no-fly list and your access to restricted data will be suspended.

Should you fail to report as ordered a warrant for your arrest will be issued. You speak to anyone about this and you'll spend the rest of your life in Gitmo, if you're lucky.

Do you understand me Agent Sorenson?" Jordan stepped right up to him and looked up at him hating the sight of him.

"Yes ma'am." Will tells her.

"Yes, Special Agent Shaw." Jordan corrects him.

"Yes, Special Agent Shaw." Will tells her.

"GOOD, now get lost, and don't force me to come looking for you tomorrow." Jordan gives Will a departing shot across his bow.

Kate glared at Will as he passed her. She hated him from last time, now it looked like he was dirty.

Kate lets the two additional uniforms that showed up go. "Keep it up you two. No one gets in that room that isn't on the list, and even then search everyone and check everything they bring with them. You're doing great." Kate was beyond happy with these two. Kate made a mental note of these two. She liked these two.

Jordan was driving again with Kate as navigator on their way back to the boat, again.

"You think he's been bought?" Kate asks as they drive.

"We're going to find out tomorrow. My team should be here in about 3 hours. It's going to be a busy day tomorrow." Jordan knew it was going to be really busy.

Then Jordan's cell phone vibrated. "Shaw."

"Right at the light and then go straight for a while." Kate tells her.

"Got it, thanks." Jordan hangs up. Jordan turns right and recognizes where she was. Kate and Rick's boat was just up this street on the left.

Just as she was parking next to a very nice BMW. "That was a member of my team. They were just closing the doors to taxi for take-off. They have found out that our guy is also flying out to New York tonight." Jordan tells Kate.

Kate moans, tomorrow just got even more interesting.


	58. Chapter 58

**CH58**

Kate and Jordan entered the living room and found Rick sitting on the sofa and staring at the TV that was off, or maybe it was the fireplace which was on.

Kate sits down next to him. "Castle?" Except Rick continued to stare at the dancing fire.

"Something to drink?" Jordan asks.

"Cabinet above the refrigerator." Kate tells her. It was a place Alexis they hoped couldn't reach yet.

Jordan came back with 3 glasses with a little of what she had found. Rick took his but continued to stare at the fire.

"We have a name Castle." Kate starts off with. That got his attention as he turned to look at Kate.

"We were right. Roy knows, he knows a lot. He's in deep Rick, really deep." Kate took a sip and watched Rick do the same.

"He's also flying out here tonight." Kate adds.

"Anyone fly out with him?" Rick asks.

"Not that I know of." Jordan answers that question. Rick turns to look at her like he was only just now seeing her for the first time.

"Probably already has all the killers he needs here already. He doesn't strike me as the type to get his hands dirty and do it himself." Rick points out.

"Well he is short one FBI agent now." Jordan points out. Seeing a look of not understanding on Rick's face.

"We caught Agent Sorenson trying to gain entry to Simmons room. It looks like he may have been bought." Kate explains.

"My team will have his life under a microscope as soon as they get here. I'm also going to ream his supervisor out here a new one. Dirty cops are bad enough, but dirty FBI agents." Jordan shakes her head.

"We deal with multi-state problems, sometimes involving people from other countries in our country trying to do us harm. The thought that one or more in one area has gone bad, …" Jordan trails off.

Jordan does however suddenly perk up. "I want you on my team Kate. Even in the little I've seen you're brilliant. … Rick too, even if it's only part time." Jordan wants her and might as well start now.

Kate opens her mouth to turn her down yet again, however Jordan raises her hand. "I know, you think since you didn't finish college you're not qualified. And maybe you think you're too young and you want to expand your family.

Not finishing college doesn't automatically disqualify you, and I had my little girl when I was a lower level agent, so spare me the family talk.

I know you've said you don't want to move, and I'm not asking you to. I will admit there will be times when I will pull you from here and we'll all end up in Houston or Seattle for a few days. But New York is a big city, lots for you to do here.

So what Kate?" Jordan knew none of her rejections held water, at least not to her.

"I got into the NYPD because I wanted to help people and stop people from doing certain things. I like being a homicide detective. I'm only a junior now, but that may change someday." Kate explains a little.

"OK, and then what. Take Montgomery's place and sit behind a desk doing paperwork? Dealing with the politics of the job. And trust me, the higher up you go the more politics there is.

Where you are now everything is black and white. Right and wrong. Guilty or not. But in DC, there are so many gray areas, you may never see blue skies again. No matter how brightly the sun is shining.

It's a culture I'm trying to change, and you can ONLY do that from the inside. Because if I don't, there are going to be even more scum like the one flying out here tonight. His friends will just slap his hand and tell him to keep doing what he's doing.

And that has to stop, or this won't be America anymore." Jordan took a sip of her drink this time.

"You don't want me Jordan. I'm lucky to be a homicide detective. I'll just cause you more trouble." Kate was convinced her one mistake had done a lot more than just a little damage.

"Then explain it to me Kate. Because what I see, you're perfect for the job. I know you don't need the money." Jordan was sure this boat cost more than even she could likely afford. "You say you want to help people and stop things. … That's what the FBI does. We're just a little more global about it.

So explain it to me Kate, because I'm not giving up. I can see potential, even if you don't, … or won't." Jordan sat forward a little and leaned in closer from the chair she was in.

Rick turned to look at her. "It's your life" written in his eyes, and "I love you, always will."

Rick could see her answer. "Time for a refill." And gets up and comes back with the bottle Jordan had found and puts a little more in each of their glasses.

Kate takes more than a little sip this time. "I was young, and home from a break while in my very first semester at Stanford. I still don't know where, why or how I met him, but I rode off on his bike with him.

I don't know where we went, just that the next thing I knew I was being given shots every couple of days. And when I wasn't given shots I was stuffing a white powder up my nose. After a little while the shots turned into cigarettes but the powder never stopped.

I don't know why I didn't get pregnant, or maybe I did and someone came in and aborted it. I still have a fair amount of memory loss. I didn't even remember my own parents." Kate pauses to sip her drink and wipe away a few of the tears.

"I lost 2 years of my life. I still don't ever remember going to Stanford or why I even went." Kate pauses to wipe away a few more tears.

"That's when Rick found me, and I've been here ever since." Kate takes another sip, but now her glass is empty, so Kate just plays with it a little.

"I know it sounds like I stayed with Rick because he fixed me, stuck by me and even stopped me from running away so I could curl up and die. But I love him, and not just for what he did.

I still don't know what he saw that day. What I saw in the mirror was, … indescribable. I was more than ugly, I was hideous looking. But Rick never quit on me, ever.

You don't want me Jordan. The things I've done. …. Believe me, you don't want me." Kate was convinced she was lucky to even be where she was now. Rick, Alexis, job, her parents. It already felt like a fantasy.

Jordan wasn't sure what she had been expecting, though she had to admit, this wasn't it.

Jordan sat back in her chair and sipped her drink and considered what to do or say. "What's his name?"

"The guy on a bike, the one who got me hooked and turned me into a zombie? …. I don't know." Kate only knew the name he used, not his real name.

Jordan however stared at her. "Honestly, I don't know." Kate tries again.

"Jonathan James Powell." Rick offers. Getting Kate to jerk her head to look at him. "Your mother knows and the two of them have done everything they can to see that he stays in prison for as long as possible." Rick shrugs his shoulders.

Kate had forgotten that her mother knew everything. Kate wiped away a stray tear. God her mother knew everything!

"Who else knows?" Jordan asks next.

"Me, her parents, Lanie, my ex-wife and my ex-publisher. Likely some precinct captain her parents were working with to find Kate, and now you." Rick tells her.

The look on Jordan's face was priceless. "Ex-wife and ex-publisher? …. Never mind." Jordan waves her free hand.

"I'm going to have a nice little talk with this Jonathan Powell and then you and I are going to have this conversation again. I don't give up Kate, so you might as well get used to thinking of being an agent of the FBI as part of my team.

You too Rick, and don't give me any lip about just being a writer." Jordan points at him.

"You two just remember, I always get what I want." Jordan takes a sip of her drink. "Now how about that tour you promised me."

CHICKENS! Really?

Jordan was smirking while lying in bed in one of their spare bedrooms when her phone vibrated. "Shaw. … Good, get over to the 12th precinct and get set up, Time is short. I also need you to look up and get me everything you can find on one Jonathan James Powell. He's in prison somewhere. He was part of a biker gang. …. Yes, do that." Jordan gives them her present address and then hangs up.

Jordan didn't know what this Powell thought he was doing, but Kate deserved better and what her superiors didn't know would only help. Jordan Shaw didn't lose.

Jordan was still smiling while sipping her coffee standing in Rick and Kate's kitchen. She was watching Rick and Kate work together in the kitchen putting breakfast together. Understanding why Kate had said looks were deceiving. Parts of this kitchen looked like the wild wild west, yet when they opened things up or used them, they were completely modern.

They each drove or in Kate's place rode into the precinct. Stepping out onto the 4th floor finding that Jordan's team had taken everything over.

"Where are we?" Jordan asks.

"One of us is over at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center, informing the doctor that he WILL be talking with Simmons today. Our target has checked into the London NYC.

The London Residence Suite."

"Must like luxury, London NYC is one of the better hotels in New York. Their restaurant is run by Gordon Ramsey." Rick points out.

"Ok, I want three of you over there. Two will watch while one of you will light up his room when he leaves. Then get back here." Jordan tells them.

"Here is the information you requested." One of them hands a folder to Jordan.

"Thanks." Jordan takes a quick scan.

"Something important?" Rick asks.

"Everything on one Jonathan Powell." Jordan answers and walks over to an empty desk and sits down and starts reading.

"Guess she was serious." Rick whispers to Kate who still had her eyes open wide, staring at Jordan.

Jordan had only just finished reading. "Target is on the move."

"You stay here and coordinate. Everyone else downstairs, let's see where he goes." Jordan orders.

Roy was only just now stepping off the elevator. Jordan stops him. "Stick to your normal work, don't do anything else." Then sees Kate grabbing her leathers. "Does your helmet have communication?" Then watches Kate shake her head. "You hook her up and catch up. … Rick you're with me. … Let's go people before he gets too far."

Jordan was traveling fast in her car. "Please tell me the others aren't driving big black SUV's with the windows tinted out." Rick comments.

"You've been watching too many cop shows. Team one has a Ford F150, team two has a Honda Accord, while team three has a Pontiac Montana, and this is a Toyota Camry. And when Kate catches up we'll have a Harley." Jordan tells him.

"Who's out in front?" Rick asks.

Jordan takes a quick look at Rick then back on the road. "Team three, …. care to explain." Jordan takes another quick peak.

"Kate and I have had defensive driving at Quantico." Rick started grinning.

Jordan started smiling. _Of course they have._ "Good you do the talking then." And Jordan hands over the mic.

"Team three, eyes on target." And gives their location.

"What are we?" Rick asks.

"We're lead." Jordan tells him, still impressed. _Writer my ass!_

The target made a number of turns. One or two had him doubling back. Everyone took turns being within visual range of target.

"Team two, target has stopped." Everyone pulled over where they were and waited.

"Team two, he's not exiting."

It took a few minutes. "Team two, I have a black Mitsubishi Montero pulling up behind target."

"Lone driver is exiting. … He has entered target car on passenger side."

Jordan takes the mic from Rick. "Team one, exit and tag the Mitsubishi and go inside and order a pizza." Jordan hands the mic back to Rick.

"Team one copies."

"Pictures?" Rick asks.

"There are already 100 of them and still counting." Jordan knew her team.

"Team two, target guest is exiting the car. … Guest has entered the Mitsubishi and is driving away."

Jordan takes the mic back. "Team one, exit with a pizza and drop it to tag target car."

Jordan gets two clicks in return.

Turned out the target simply returned to his room after that meeting.

Team one and team two followed the Mitsubishi using the tag to trace its movements.

The others returned to the precinct. "Anything?" Jordan asks the guy left behind.

"Target has entered his room and has ordered room service. His room is lit up as is a burner phone they found that he left behind. He has expensive taste in food." The tech comments.

"Download the pictures and find out who he is." Jordan asks.

Pictures started coming up on the light board in no time. "Searching." The tech tells her.

Kate started looking at the board, it was fancy but not better than her board. Just easier to use.

"Got something." The tech calls out. "Cole Maddox. … what the! …. I've been thrown out!" He was suddenly pissed and started madly typing.

"Who threw you out?" Jordan steps in close with Rick and Kate right behind her.

The tech was shaking his head. They could hear him cursing under his breath. Jordan kept her mouth shut and let him do his job. "They're good." The tech comments while his fingers fly over the keys.

"Come on, come on, … take it and shake it's hand." The tech is whispering to himself.

"Come on, it's pretty and you like it, just one little nibble. …. Gotcha!" And his fingers seem to fly even faster.

"Cole Maddox

**Special Operations Group (SOG)**

**24th Special Tactics Squadron**

**720th Special Tactics Group**

Presently not assigned. ... Pentagon." The tech turns his head to look at Jordan.

"Download everyone with the 720th and do a search for Hal Lockwood while you are there." Jordan has a hunch.

"Download complete. ... Hal Lockwood is with the same group. ... DAMN IT! I'm out again." The tech turns to look at Jordan again.

"Don't worry about it, we got what we need. Ok people take the 720th apart; i want to know everything about them. Especially this Cole Maddox." Jordan calls out.

"What about Lockwood?" Kate questions.

"He's no longer a problem, he's being held in a place that only a select few know anything about." Jordan explains.

"Target is using his burner phone." Someone calls out. "Tracing, ... It is to another unlisted phone. There is no answer and he has ended the call."

"Do you know where the burner phone he was calling is located?" Jordan asks.

"Not on the line long enough for a complete trace. I only know what cell tower the response pinged off of." He explains.

"Show me." Jordan asks.

"Run a list of everyone in this area and compare it to anyone involved in this case." Jordan asks.

It takes a few minutes. "I've got 3 hits. Primary is one Will Sorenson."

"He still wants Simmons dead." Kate offers.

"He has 2 of your uniforms and one from my team, he's fine." Jordan assures them. "I am however going to crucify one agent Will Sorenson." Jordan comments.

Kate and Rick notice that had gotten the attention of everyone around them, and by the looks on their faces, Will was a dead man presently walking.

"Target is on his burner phone again. ... He has reached someone, ... he is paying two people $50 grand each to take out Simmons and anyone near him with another $50 grand upon completion.

They have asked if explosives is acceptable.

Target has responded he doesn't care what they use. Target has ended call."

"The tracer on targets guest is headed for the harbor area." Someone calls out.

"We're on the harbor!" Rick reminds everyone.

"Kate is the one preventing him from getting to Simmons." Jordan points out.

Kate pulls out her phone and scrolls down her list, then presses send. "MOM, where are you and Alexis? ... Good, stay there. ... No everything is fine for now, just stay there. Bye mom.

They are still at their place." Kate tells everyone.

"Have team one divert from target and get them to the hospital and make sure they are suited up and expecting heavy weapons." Jordan calls out.

"Hey Castle, what's going on?" Espo and Ryan step up.

"Go ahead, not much is happening." Jordan tells them.

"Pull Davidson out of holding guys, let's see if he has changed his tune any." Kate tells them.

Kate is waiting for the guys to pull Davidson out and into interrogation.

"Target guest is on the move again." Someone calls out.

Kate watches Espo put Davidson into an interrogation room and decides to let him stay there for now. Then watches Roy walk off the elevator.

Jordan intercepts him. "Just run your precinct captain and leave everything else to me. If he calls you, alert me immediately."

Roy looked around at everyone and nodded his head and went into his office. Was this what freedom looked like? Or was this his last day in his office?

"Target guest is headed out of the downtown area." Someone calls out.

"Where is he going?" Jordan whispers out. "Show me."

"What's out there?" Jordan didn't understand. He was getting further and further away from the hospital and the target had already arranged for someone to take out Simmons, so where was he going?

"Kate, whats out here?" Jordan circles the area on her board.

Kate sucked in her breath and placed her hand over her mouth. "NO, PLEASE NO."

Rick stepped up and looked and turned to look at Jordan with nothing but fear on his face. "Her parents live out there."

"ALEXIS!" Kate was having trouble breathing, and had her hands covering her mouth. Her eyes showed that she was scared.

"Go Kate, go. ... Go with her Rick. ... You two follow them out there." Jordan calls out and then walks for Roy's office while Kate grabs her leathers and races down the stairs not waiting for the elevator.

Kate only just barely slapped her leathers on before firing up her bike, while Rick had to run for his car, since he couldn't park in the garage.

Kate didn't pay any attention to red lights and weaved her way through all the traffic. "NO, please god no!"


	59. Chapter 59

**CH59**

Cole Maddox parked his car three houses down and started to get out when 2 police cruisers suddenly showed up with their lights flashing but no siren. Both of them exited the car and approached the house.

Maddox watched a middle aged woman answer the door and let them in. Not long after that someone on a Harley pulled into the driveway and ran for the house and went inside immediately.

Maddox decided to stay and watch. The uniforms would eventually leave and knew he could deal with one lousy homicide detective.

Shorty after that a very expensive BMW showed up and parked one house down on the opposite side of the street. Maddox could tell there was a single white male inside. Then a Ford F150 pulled in right behind him and both of the occupants opened their doors and pointed guns his direction.

"Put your hands out the window, NOW!" One of them yelled at him.

Maddox didn't know who they were and the guy in the BMW hadn't left his car. In fact it looked like he was on his phone. And how did they know he was here? He had been very careful coming out here. Plus they hadn't even tried to ID him yet.

Maddox made a decision and started his Mitsubishi and stomped on the gas pedal and he put it in gear.

The two behind him immediately started to fire on his car. Out his peripheral vision he could see the person who got off the bike run out the front door.

Maddox ended up side swiping one of the cruisers along his passenger side and its drivers side. When suddenly his passenger window exploded and his right shoulder was in sudden pain.

Maddox knew he had been hit, probably from the person that owned the Harley. The pain was severe but he had been shot before. Still it forced him to take his right hand off the steering wheel for a moment.

Maddox started to make a turn to his left and go down that residential street. He knew the two in the F150 had stopped firing, probably to get back in so they could chase after him.

When suddenly the rear end of his car spun around and he found himself facing back the way he came. It also forced his good hand off the steering wheel for a moment.

Maddox never took his foot off the gas pedal and he could just make out that it was the BMW that had hit him in the left rear quarter. Now he was trying to get his hand back of the steering wheel while he shot back down the street the way he had come.

Problem was he was right, the F150 was moving and it suddenly turned to block the road. He had only just turned the wheel to go into the yard next to them so he could go around when someone showed up in the middle of the street.

Maddox thought it looked like a woman, probably the woman he was sent after. Then his world went black. His mind only briefly acknowledged the first flash of the weapon she was holding.

Maddox's car roared right past Kate as she kept firing the entire time and watched it slam into the right front wheel of the F150, where it crumpled under the damage and dented the F150.

Kate and the 2 FBI guys converged on the Mitsubishi. Kate tried the door but found it was crumpled closed from the impact. The window was open however so she reached in while holding her weapon on him.

Kate could see blood and placed two fingers on his neck. "He's gone." Kate finally announced.

Kate and the FBI guys put their weapons away. Then Rick stepped up to Kate having left his car where it was.

"Castle, what did you think you were doing?" Her husband was only just out of the hospital having been shot in the chest.

"He was trying to get away and he was after our daughter, what did you think I was going to do?" Rick looked at Kate, then suddenly started grinning. "Did you see? It was a perfect rear quarter panel tap. Spun him like a top." Rick's grin was now a mile wide.

Kate was forced to chuckle, she had seen it all and he was right. It was just like they had been taught. Kate thought she should punch him for getting into danger again, but grabs him and pulls him down and kisses him instead.

They soon had 4 more police cruisers since the neighbors had called it in.

The FBI guys had called it in to Jordan Shaw.

It was still a mess out front, now that an ambulance, fire truck and tow truck had been added to the mix. The neighbors had quite the show since most of them were outside watching it all.

Rick and Kate however were inside the house talking with Jim and Johanna. "He's just going to send someone else Castle." Kate points out.

"Then they can't be here." Rick offers.

"The FBI might have a safe house." Kate offers.

"And he'll get an FBI briefing and know exactly where they are." Rick counters.

"Who knows?" Johanna had, had enough of this. She had held her tongue up to this point because of Katie, but enough was enough.

"They're involved now Kate, even if we don't want them to be." Rick points out.

Kate then proceeds to give the short version of the case they are working.

"A US Senator? Our Senator?" Johanna's mouth had long ago hit the floor so didn't understand how she was even talking.

"I think I even voted for the jerk last time." Jim had a pained expression on his face.

"That's the trap, he tells the public what they want to hear, and then have people killed to keep his secrets." Rick points out.

"That still leaves where they go." Kate points out.

"And I think I know just the place." Rick was smiling. "Well not the exact place, just the general area. I'd look it up if we had a computer, …." Johanna interrupts him.

"We both have laptops." Johanna offers.

Rick however shook her head. "Any communication can be traced, our time on this case had taught us that. We need to buy burner phones along the way."

"What have you got in mind Castle?" What was her husband thinking?

"We're trying to buy a house in the Hampton's, I'm sure they have hotels too, we just pick one after we get there." Rick offers up.

"They're going to need cash Castle, they use a credit card and it can be traced." Kate points out.

"I have $2 grand on me." Rick offers.

"I think I've got one." Kate offers.

Johanna goes in search of her purse while Jim pulls out his wallet.

"$200." Jim offers up.

Johanna is back and counting. "Just under $300."

"$3500 in cash. … Not going to be a 5 star hotel, but I think we can do better than a Motel 6." Rick offers up.

"How do we get them there?" Kate asks.

"We take both of their cars. I drive one and Jim drives the other. I'll take Alexis and I check in under Richard Rogers. Then I drive back and pick up my car that I leave here.

Shouldn't take more than 5 hours. 2 out and 2 back and time spent there." Rick speculates.

"Go pack mom and dad; we need to get you out of here." Kate tells them.

Kate is holding onto Alexis while they pack. "What about her clothes?" Kate nods her head at Alexis in her lap.

"She came here with an overnight bag. Your mom and dad just have to do laundry. If it takes too long they either go shopping or we drive some up somehow." Rick answers.

Kate nodded, it was the best they could do. They had to get her parents and Alexis out of here, before he sent someone else after he found out his man had failed.

"MOM!?" Alexis didn't understand this plan while they were loading everyone in her parent's cars.

"You're going with your father pumpkin, don't worry. … I love you." Kate kissed her.

"Love you too mom." Alexis responds, though it looked like she was ready to cry.

Kate watched them drive off after kissing Rick as hard as she could.

Kate rode her bike back to the precinct with the FBI guys in their F150 right behind her.

Jordan had already been updated by her team. "You two do good work Kate. I can see you were listening when you took those training courses. … I will have you two on my team Kate, just get used to it." Jordan smiles, and goes back to her team.

"Anything on our target?" Jordan asks.

"Negative, he's still in his room and hasn't received or made any calls. He's flicking through TV channels at the moment," is the response she gets.

"What about Simmons?" Jordan asks.

"The doctor has agreed to wake him and allow him to be interrogated. He has protested however," Is the response.

"I don't care if he screams. I want to know what the drug dealer knows." Jordan responds.

Kate had walked over to the guys. "What about Davidson?"

"He remained silent, not sure what he is thinking. Or maybe he is just that stupid." Espo responds.

"Fine. Book him for what we can and have him transferred. If he lives long enough to get out on bail, we've done what we can for now." Kate tells him. He probably used those drugs to do his killing for him anyway. And they would have no knowledge of what they did.

"Why did he try to kill Simmons himself?" Kate whispers out before Espo or Ryan walk away.

"He got paid $50 grand to do it." Espo didn't see the point of the question.

"But he had the zombie drug to get someone to do his killing for him." Kate points out.

Espo shugs his shoulders. "Couldn't get to it fast enough."

Kate picked up her desk phone. "Hi Lanie, how much of that zombie drug do you need to get someone to do whatever you want? Like maybe kill someone. …. Thanks Lanie." Kate hangs up.

"He didn't have enough. The bottles he had at home were almost empty." Kate tells them.

"And he couldn't get more because his source, Williams was dead. Who didn't have any at his place." Ryan puts the pieces together.

"And the guy who left him to die after getting his complete supply from him, used it on Simmons to get him to talk. Tell him what we are trying to find out. … Which is what?" Kate was putting her own pieces together. Then turns to look at Jordan.

The Senator wants Simmons dead. Because he knows his name and he can't have that?

But all these dead people are not being killed, just left to die. Just like 117 said Rochefort would do.

He left the Lehman's to die, left Williams to die and left Simmons to die.

Rochefort is staying in people's homes while he searches for his target. He left that guy to die in the basement. Did that lead him to Simmons? But how did he find out about Williams?

He's using the zombie walks as partial cover while he searches. That's how he knew where to take Simmons and he had the drugs to help make him talk. So did he torture him after the drugs or before? And does it matter?

"Bracken is his target." Kate whispers to herself. A scum sucking asshole with delusions of god hood who seeks power. And has power and is hard to find and hard to reach. Just the perfect target for Rochefort if 117 is correct in his analysis of him.

Kate can't even begin to tell Jordan. _I have a parasite wrapped around my spinal column who is from outer space. _Yeah, that'll go over really well.

I know where his target is, just no idea where Rochefort is. And how is Rochefort going to find out he is in town?

Capri Motel

281 County Road, 39A Route 27  
>Southampton, NY 11968<p>

It had two beds and it looked clean. It had a nice pool and a good looking restaurant. "You sure this is fine? We could look for another one." Rick liked parts of it, just wished the room had at least a kitchenette.

"It'll be fine Rick. We can buy Alexis a swimsuit, we have a car so we don't have to eat here all the time and the grounds look nice. … And you need to get back." Johanna wants Rick back in New York to help their daughter.

"You be a good girl pumpkin, you're going to have an adventure with grams and gramps. You show them how it's done, Castle style." Rick smiled at Alexis and then hugged her. "You're on vacation pumpkin, go swimming and have a good time and don't give your grams and gramps any trouble." Rick kisses her.

Alexis didn't understand, all she got was that daddy was leaving.

Jim intercepted Rick just outside their room. "You two stay safe son, we don't want to lose either of you." They had lost their daughter for 2 years already.

"We'll be fine Jim, we're not alone in this. We have trained FBI agents, plus Kate and I have been training with each other for a while now. … You have a burner phone, use it if you need to. We are 2 hours out however." Rick reminded him. It was the only fault Rick could think of about this plan.

"We'll keep that in mind. Good luck son." And Jim watched him drive away in the older of their two cars.

Jim and Johanna started unpacking and helped Alexis unpack hers. Johanna noticed that Alexis was just standing there.

"Come over here sweeite." Johanna opened her arms and waited for Alexis to walk into them. "Your mom and dad are fine. … What do you do on these adventures?" Johanna had heard Rick.

When she doesn't get an answer. "Where do you do these adventures?"

"Museum." Alexis liked the museum.

"Well this adventure is going to be outside. How about an outdoor safari? We can even search the pool, you like swimming, right?" Johanna offers. Getting Alexis to nod her head.

"We need to go shopping to get you a swimsuit. You need proper clothing for a safari." Johanna smiles at Alexis and grabs her purse.

"He has to have more than just Maddox." Kate points out after she gets back to the precinct.

"I agree, we just need to figure out who they are. … Where are we on that list of the 720th?" Jordan calls out.

"Only about half way through it so far. So far everyone is accounted for." Is the reply.

"Find out where he got the Mitsubishi, maybe the others got their cars from the same place." Jordan offers up.

The rest of the day was relatively boring. The target didn't move and all but three on the list of the 720th was accounted for. Problem was getting anything out of the military wasn't likely to happen.

Kate was sitting on the sofa with Rick next to her while both of them sipped on a glass of wine. "I miss Alexis." Kate moans.

"It is a little quiet around here." Rick was missing her too.

"She should be here where we can protect her, not 2 hours from here." Kate moans again, she wanted Alexis in her arms were she could protect her. "How did she take being left with my parents in a hotel room?" Kate turns to look at Rick.

However the look on Rick's face told her everything she needed to know. "This sucks." Kate deflated.

"She's perfectly safe Kate, no one but me and your parents know where she is." Rick counters.

"Maybe, but my parents aren't armed." Kate moans again.

"Neither am I Kate." Rick points out. Problem was neither was Kate. All of their weapons were locked up all over the boat.

Kate decided to lean into Rick. "We need Simmons to talk." Kate points out.

Rick could only "Hhhmm" In response. The doctor had woken Simmons up as ordered, however the pain he was still in had almost knocked him unconscious again. Then the pain medication had finished it. They would try again tomorrow.

"Dinner?" Rick offered.

"Not hungry." Kate's mind wasn't on food.

Rick didn't blame her, he wasn't really hungry either. "Hello?"

Kate got up and headed for the dining room and saw Jordan standing outside. "You two need a door bell." Jordan mentions as she enters.

It had never occurred to Kate, it had never been a problem before. "Anything?" Kate asks as they walk into the living room.

"Is there any more of that?" Jordan points to the wine glasses.

"I'll get it." Rick gets up and is soon back with a glass full along with the bottle so he top off his and Kate's.

"Coonan and two others are still unaccounted for off the list for the 720th. Stands to reason they are here somewhere. … Also Captain Montgomery got a phone call just before he left. Seems your Doctor Davidson was shanked in the yard 15 minutes after he reached it." Jordan informs them.

"That was fast, must have had someone waiting for him." Kate speculates.

"He was transferred to a hospital and was in surgery still when I left." Jordan plays with her wine spinning it around and around before drinking some of it.

"We need to put him away. Prove that his method is doomed to failure or there will just be another one to take his place." Jordan points out.

Then Jordan's phone vibrates. "Shaw, … map it out and we'll come up with a plan in the morning." Jordan hangs up.

"That was our guy, he called to arrange a meet. 6:00 am no less. Time to get some sleep, looks like an early day tomorrow." Jordan takes her wine glass with her. Only to have her phone vibrate again.

"Shaw, … Hi sweetheart! …. Yes I miss you too. Are you being a good girl for daddy? …. I'll be home soon sweetheart. ..." Jordan walks down the stairs and out of voice range.


	60. Chapter 60

**CH60**

Jordan is up and it is still dark outside. She can't help but grin while she uses the bathroom. This entire boat is a contradiction. It was built in 1907 and parts of it look it, and still other parts look even older. Then there were the parts that were brand new.

Even the bathroom she was in was a contradiction. The tank for the toilet was hanging on the wall and yet it was a dual flush depending on which chain you yanked, and the walls were wood.

Dressed and walking upstairs her nose becomes active as she can smell someone cooking. In the kitchen already dressed and cooking were Rick and Kate. "I still don't believe this kitchen." Jordan points out.

"Morning." Kate stops what she is doing to look her direction. "Give us a couple of minutes and we'll be ready."

There was waffles, sausage, sliced apples, maple syrup, butter, toast, jam, milk and orange juice.

"Where did you find this, … stuff." Jordan was at a loss as to what to call the kitchen appliances.

"It came with the boat when I bought it actually. The range doesn't cook quite as hot as natural gas, but I like it better than electric. As to where the previous owner found all this, I have no idea.

It was just me and 2 year old Alexis when I found it. I think it was the chickens on the bow that sold it." Rick tells her.

"Alexis loves those chickens. When I could finally make it upstairs after Rick found me, I would watch Alexis stand there and stare at the chickens. Now she talks to them and feeds them.

It's funny, they even get excited when Alexis shows up to collect eggs. They don't do that for me." Kate adds smiling. Like this morning actually.

"I can't imagine what you went through Kate, I've only seen a few examples of what drug addiction does to people. Some had been hooked for years, but none of them had the symptoms that you describe. But then I don't think they took them as often as you say you did." Jordan brings it up again.

"It's a time I've tried very hard to forget. I was a mess and didn't actually care what happened to me. I actually did try to leave, and probably ended up dead somewhere. But Rick wouldn't let go of me.

I owe him a lot. I could spend the rest of my life thanking him and it would only just touch the surface.

I fell in love with him and Alexis while he took care of me. He's been my rock. I'm not the same person I was before the drugs, I know that, but I like where I am now." Kate tells her. Maybe if she tells Jordan enough she'll give up.

"Precisely why I like you, you've worked hard to overcome a bad time. You're a fighter, you've faced your fears and your past and overcome all of it. And you're smart and don't crumple under pressure. … Sure you were afraid, but you handled yourself with Maddox.

I'm still going to have a long talk with this Powell person, and after I do I'll be back, so you two better get ready to sign on the dotted line and end up in Quantico again for a few weeks." Jordan warns them.

The teams were broken up and in each of their vehicles waiting for their target to move.

"He's late." Jordan points out with Rick in the passenger seat.

"You tagged his car, how do we know he used the same one this time?" Rick offers up.

"Team one, enter and find our guy and see if his car is still there." Jordan offers up.

He better have not done something smart.

"Target car is still here, security coverage shows he left an hour ago. He walked out." Comes back from team one.

"DAMN IT!" Jordan was mad.

"Ok, team four go to the site he is supposed to go to for the meet. Likely he will not be there. Everyone else spread out, he probably has already found a taxi." Jordan asks of them. Then pulls out her cell phone.

"He probably found a taxi, find if any of them picked up a fare near here and where did they go." Jordan asks of the tech back at the precinct.

"I'm going to go get my car." Rick tells her and starts to open the passenger door.

"Your car is damaged." Jordan points out.

"I lost a headlight, don't need it during daylight. We can spread out farther this way and I have my cell phone." Rick points out and gets out and starts running.

The teams were scattered out all over. One member was walking while the other drove around in circles, each looking.

Kate had decided to move out of the downtown area, if it was a big meeting, not likely it would be out in the open. They needed someplace quiet.

Kate was just sitting there with her head on a swivel looking for she didn't know what. Anything that was a clue.

Kate decided to move on still looking.

Kate could feel her cell phone vibrate in her pocket. _"Anything? Meet me for lunch? Luv U X R"_

It got Kate to smile. She wasn't really in a location that a lot to choose from, so she picked one and sent it to him. 15 minutes later Rick showed up in his BMW.

Kate got off her bike and met him near the front door. "Hi babe." Kate got up on tippy toes to give him a quick kiss.

"You really know how to pick 'em Kate, nice clean neighborhood." Rick smiled and kissed her back.

"I'm looking for trash, not going to find it in the Trump Tower. … Where's Jordan?" Kate thought they were together.

"We split up to cover more ground. She's got her teams chasing taxi's that picked up anyone near the London NYC hoping he was one of them." Rick had gotten an update from Jordan.

The place Kate chose wasn't high of either of their lists so they decided to choose something safe and ordered sandwiches with chips and a drink.

Still they each only had two bites before they stopped. "When did this meat expire? A month ago?" Rick moaned. "Ok, now I'm mad. He's trying to kill me, capture my wife and our daughter and he has me out here hunting him down, eating garbage." Rick took a drink. It at least was in a can.

It got Kate to start laughing, not that she didn't agree. It's just that there didn't seem to be anything else to do.

"You think he's out here?" Rick asks as Kate mounts her bike with helmet in hand.

"He's a low life using low life to do his killing, and this is the not so better part of town." Kate points out.

"Works for me, I'll stay in this area with you then. Text or call if you see something." Rick leans in to kiss her. Then walks for his car and watches her ride past him as he gets into his damaged car.

They saw each other a couple of times as they crisscross the area.

Kate was stopped and sitting again, he was on the loose and could be anywhere really. Kate was only guessing and she knew it.

Then Kate saw someone that kinda stood out. He was tall, maybe 6'-5" or 6'-6" and thin but not that thin, and he had long thick and lush hair. He had stepped out of a building and was walking with purpose away from her.

His clothes were a mix of styles, not going to win any awards, but they were clean. Like really clean.

Then he stopped and looked around, just enough that Kate could see his face for a fraction of a second. **He had an eye patch!**

"Rochefort." Kate whispered out. Kate sat on her bike and pulled out her cell phone and sent Rick a text. _"Rochefort!"_ and added her street intersection, then put her phone away and got her bike moving to follow the now jogging Rochefort as he turned a corner.

Kate however didn't see Rick's response. _"Wait for me, I'm coming!"_

Kate saw Rochefort jog into a construction site and parked her bike on the other side of the street, took her helmet off and left it with her bike and slowly made her way across the street, stopping where she saw Rochefort enter.

Rick came flying around the corner and slammed on the brakes, and looked around. "DAMN IT KATE, I asked you to wait!" Rick now had three choices to choose from. He hadn't seen Kate's bike where he came from, but he didn't know which way she was traveling from.

'_Eenie_, _Meenie_, _Miney, Moe_', Rick picks one and prays.

Kate pulls her weapon and steps inside, just as she does she hears gunfire above her, followed by lots of gun fire. The on full automatic type of gunfire. Then she feels her cell phone vibrate. Pulling it out she reads the text. _"DAMN IT KATE, where are you?"_

"_Construction site_." And gives the street she is on, then puts her phone away and moves for the stairs, carefully checking everywhere.

Kate takes the stairs on step at a time, always looking up. Searching for any kind of movement, no matter how small. The shooting has stopped and it is now eerily silent.

Kate peeks her head over the top to survey the floor. She can see two bodies lying on the floor.

Kate scans the area and doesn't see anyone else. Kate moves over to the bodies. They were each lying in a pool of blood. One of them had an automatic weapon. Kate didn't immediately recognize the weapon type, just that it was similar to the MP5 she had trained on at Quantico.

This floor was relatively free of construction debris. He hadn't come down so he must have gone up.

Kate moved to the stairs and went up them like she had the previous set.

This floor was a little more congested with construction debris and unused construction material. It meant there were places for someone to hide, so Kate couldn't just bypass it. Otherwise someone might come up her six.

Kate had about half of it searched when she heard the sound of a weapon with a silencer discharging.

A silencer didn't make the weapon completely silent, plus the more you used it the less it worked properly. Whoever had this one needed a new one. It was on its last legs, and it was above her somewhere.

Kate moved to the stairs and worked her way up them, step by step.

Rick was flying down the street. It wasn't empty of cars, but it was close. Then he spotted her bike sitting on the side of the road. Rick slammed on the brakes and stopped right next to it.

Rick could see her helmet sitting on the bike, then turned and saw a construction site on the other side of the street.

Rick ran for the entrance to it pushing the button on his fob and stuffing the keys into his pocket.

Rick worked his way slowly onto the site. There was dirt and debris everywhere. Kate could be anywhere, and he had to be careful in case he encountered Rochefort, ALONE!

Kate had reached the top and found this floor littered with construction material, some of it piled high up to chest height. "SWELL!" Kate swore to herself. Damn place was packed with hiding places.

Kate started a grid search checking each pile of construction material. Finally she came across a guy lying on the floor in a large pool of blood. Kate moved closer and saw that his neck was sliced open wide. There was also what looked like a 9mm with a silencer laying nearby.

Then Kate could hear a voice. It was low so it sounded like a guy. The volume was too low to make out the words, but the pitch was changing the more he talked. He sounded pleading.

Kate peeked around a pile of construction material and saw Rochefort standing behind a man who was on his knees. "I can pay you anything you want. Just name it."

Then Kate saw Rochefort slice his neck open, all but cutting off his head and let him drop to the floor.

Kate only half stepped out. "NYPD!" Kate yelled out holding her weapon on Rochefort.

In the blink of an eye Rochefort threw his weapon and hit one of Kate's hands holding her weapon. Her weapon discharged as it did. However the round missed everything.

"**OWE!"** Kate dropped the gun and saw the knife sticking out of her hand.

Kate pulled the knife out which hurt even more, then looked up and saw Rochefort charging her.

Kate took two fast steps towards him and as Rochefort ducked a little to bowl her over, she jumped and used her bad hand to vault herself up and over him, pushing up using his shoulder as a base.

Swinging her legs up high and using the knife in her good hand to rake it across his left shoulder. Then land on her feet behind Rochefort as he continued through his charge. Hearing him moan in pain from the cut.

Rochefort had however not gone more than a step past Kate as she landed on her feet, only to have Rochefort kick his leg out and hit Kate square in the chest, launching her backwards several feet. Kate's back slammed into a pile of 50lb bags stacked on a wood pallet.

Kate fell to the ground, it almost knocked her out cold.

As Kate started to stand she could just make out that Rochefort was advancing on her.

Kate used one leg to try and sweep his legs out from under him, however Rochefort had been expecting it and simply jumped up to miss her leg.

However he hadn't planned on Kate spinning her body and kicking up her other leg straight into his groin area. This got Rochefort to double over in severe pain while Kate jumped to her feet.

While Kate had him doubled over she kicked him square in the nose, getting his head to snap backwards and was equally rewarded with a crunching sound of his nose breaking.

Rick was still on the ground floor and headed for the stairs leading up when he heard the sound of a weapon discharging above him. "DAMN IT!" Rick started flying up the stairs.

Looking around the floor area finding it empty Rick started to run up the next set of stairs.

This level had two dead guys lying in pools of blood. Rick took a quick look around but didn't see Kate. "Damn it Kate, where are you?" Rick spun in place trying to look everywhere, then headed for the next set of stairs.

Kate was happy with herself, her back was still hurting but she had gotten Rochefort good a couple of times.

Then she saw Rochefort charge her again. This time she used one hand to take his arm and flip him using his own momentum to complete the maneuver. As she did Kate raked the knife still in her other hand up his arm.

This got her a moan of pain out of Rochefort, however she hadn't expected him to latch onto her arm and take him with him, flipping her.

Kate however went with the flip and landed on her feet, like a large cartwheel. Using that she used her hand still holding Rochefort to flip him again. Again dragging the knife along the same arm. Getting Rochefort to moan in pain.

However this time Rochefort had something new, while he counter flipped Kate like last time he used his free hand to slam it into Kate's chest, taking her breath away from her.

Kate still landed on her feet just like last time, however she didn't have the strength to do anything after that this time.

Rochefort then hit her twice in the chest while holding onto her arm and then once in the abdomen area, taking away what little air Kate still had.

Rochefort had let go of her arm and was standing over Kate who was down on her hands and knees.

Kate could see him standing over her, she was mere moments from being dead. Kate used what strength she could muster and used her knife to stab it into his right knee with everything she had.

The blade literally broke off at the hilt still embedded in Rochefort's knee, doing severe damage.

Kate was back on her hands and knees trying to get air back in her lungs, listening to Rochefort scream in pain. Rochefort was forced to put all his weight on his good leg, this damn woman had nearly cut his leg off at the kneecap. He would recover but it would take time. He stood no chance of making it back to the house he was staying in now.

He was going to kill her slow now. No one had ever done this much damage to him. He never lost, ever.

Rick was just making it up to the next floor when he heard a man scream in pain. Rick ran for the sound and stopped when he saw a tall man towering over Kate who was on her hands and knees.

Rick internally cursed at himself, he was weapon less. WHY didn't he pick up one of the weapons downstairs? It was too late now, Kate would be dead by the time he came back with one.

Rick started looking around, finding something he thought he could use Rick quickly stepped over to a pile of black steel pipe and picked up the first piece he could grab.

It turned out to be an 8 foot section that had yet to have the threads created on one end.

Rick put one hand on the very end covering the opening and used the other to grab the pipe and started running towards the man leaning over Kate holding his leg, trying to recover from screaming.

Rick was holding the end of the pipe out in front of him intent on driving it right through his back and out the other side.

Kate was down on her hands and knees, coughing. She could see blood collecting on the ground. She was coughing up blood! This was not a good sign, it meant she had internal injuries, and since she couldn't breathe maybe a partially collapsed lung to go with it.

Kate was dead and she knew it, all he had to do was snap her neck. In her mind. "I'm sorry Rick, so very sorry."

Rick was going full steam when he slammed the end of the pipe into the very center of the guys back and watched it bury itself into his back. Rick screamed in pain as his right wrist was snapped by the pipe.

Kate suddenly saw Rochefort fly over her and disappear from her sight. Kate looked up and saw Rick dancing around holding his hand, cursing up a storm.

Then suddenly Rick's face was right in front of hers. "Kate! … Kate?" Rick saw blood coming out of her mouth. Rick looked up over her to see the guy lying on the floor with a pipe sticking out both sides of his body.

Rick was still holding his broken wrist that was somehow connected to the rest of him. "Kate?" Rick looked into her eyes.

Kate was still doing all she could to get air in her lungs, she needed to give the nanites time to work.

"Rochefort?" Kate wheezed out spitting up blood.

"He's letting off steam Kate, just like that guy in that Schwarzenegger movie Commando." Rick was proud of himself.

Kate didn't understand a word he was saying. Steam? Commando? Kate used the little air she had to twist around and look.

Rochefort was lying on the floor with what looked like a 1-1/2" pipe sticking out both ends of him. So where was this steam Castle was talking about?

Rick had pulled Kate over to one of the piles of construction material and was leaning his back up against it while holding onto Kate. All the while watching to see if Rochefort so much as twitched.

Rick's hand still hurt and Kate was breathing better. Kate had her head buried in Rick's chest. "I'm sorry Rick, I'm sorry, so very sorry. I should never have come up here without backup." Kate lifted her head so she could kiss his cheek. "I'm sorry."

"I guess we're even now. I scared the hell out of you getting shot and now you've scared the hell out of me coming up here after an assassin all alone. You're lucky to be alive Kate, damn lucky. He had you down and was standing over you." Rick was sure he was never going to get that image out of his memory. How did you erase something like that? "Nanites or no, he had you."

Kate didn't know if she should laugh or cry, so she settled for burying her head back into Rick's chest. The man she loved more than anything had saved her again.


	61. Chapter 61

**CH61**

In the end Kate chose to cry especially after Rick got in one more shot across her bow. "We both have training and we train together, and you decide to do this without me. I should be mad as hell at you, and maybe I will be later. Right now I'm just glad you're alive." Rick held her close with the only hand that didn't still hurt.

Kate was still crying minutes later. She had screwed up and Rick was right, about all of it.

Kate decided silence was best for the moment, she had screwed up and really was sorry.

It took them an hour of holding each other. "We should call in the cavalry I suppose." Rick offered.

Kate lifted her head and wiped away her tears. He meant call Jordan. "What do we do about Rochefort?" What if he had nanites that were busy fixing him, even now?

"Pull out your phone and ask him." Rick offers.

Kate sits up straighter and pulls out her cell phone. _"Rochefort now has a pipe thru his chest. Is he dead now?"_ Kate types.

"_Yes and no. Given time his wounds will be repaired, same as yours."_

"_So how do we kill him?"_ Kate figured he had to be dead. Otherwise they would find his nanites and all hell would break loose. Even if it did go against what she was trying to do.

Kate tried to think of it as more, prevent him from being repaired instead of purposely kill him.

"_Discharge your nanites into his system. They will fight each other. Win or lose, he will not recover from his life threatening wounds. They are life threatening, yes?"_

"It wants me to get my nanites into his system so they fight each other." Kate tells Rick.

"You mean like drink your blood? If he's not alive now how is he supposed to drink?" Rick didn't see how that would work. "That would also mean slicing open your arm again." Rick points out.

This got Kate to moan. Slicing open her arm for Rick and Alexis was one thing, but doing it for this piece of scum?

"_Is there another way? I don't have a knife." _Kate types. Which was strictly the truth. The only knife she had was his and what was left of it was buried in his knee.

"_Any bodily fluid will work."_

"Any bodily fluid?" Kate looks questioningly at Rick.

Rick thought about it. "Pee into his mouth?" Rick questions.

"Oooo, gross." Kate makes a face of disgust.

Rick shrugs his shoulders. "Less painful than slicing your arm open again." Rick points out.

Kate moans, but he had a point. So Kate gets up and starts to undo her pants as she walks over to Rochefort. "Turn around." Kate tells Rick. "Turn around Castle!" Doing this was bad enough, but she wasn't going to have Rick watch.

Rick chuckled but turned around.

Kate dropped her pants and then her panties and was getting ready to squat over Rochefort, somehow feeling really dirty. "Warn 117 first." Rick offers up.

"SHIT!" Kate cursed but pulled out her phone.

"_I'm going to pee into Rochefort's mouth."_ Kate types.

"_Ready."_

Kate moans and squats over Rochefort and relieves herself, trying to make sure all of it went into his mouth.

Kate was done and pulls her panties back up followed by her pants. "Oooo, I'm never doing that again." Kate closes up her pants and watches Rick turn back around. Thankfully his face was neutral, so Kate didn't have to slap a smirk off his face.

Kate was still hurting so she went back over to sit next to Rick and let him hold her. "Now what?" Kate asks.

"Where's Bracken?" Rick hadn't seen him. He was kinda preoccupied to bother looking for him.

"Over there." Kate points. "Rochefort sliced his neck open. He pleaded for his life by offering him money." Kate explains.

It's only now that Rick looks over at the body of Bracken lying in a pool of blood. "Not likely he had nanites." Rick points out, getting Kate to chuckle. "Bet his begging an assassin not to kill him went over big." Rick adds.

Kate sits up straight again getting Rick to look at her. He liked that position. Then watches Kate pull out her phone again.

"_Rochefort is dead and so is his target. Now what?"_ Kate talks while she types.

"_Now I assist you in whatever you decide to do for the rest of your life. You are my host."_

It left Kate with a question though. _"This does not concern you?"_ Kate types.

"_You are involved in your planets justice system. That is my primary purpose. You will make an excellent host for as long as you live."_

"Guess that answers that. … Now do we call in the cavalry?" Rick asks.

"In a minute." Kate snuggles in closer to Rick. Kate wasn't in any hurry to give this up.

**It was hours later now:**

Jordan was sitting in one of the chairs in Rick and Kate's living room. "You two did good. Too bad you didn't make it to Bracken first. Putting him on trial to prove his method of getting to the top doesn't work. Still I can't imagine what this country would be like if he had somehow made it all the way to the presidency." Jordan comments.

With Bracken dead his home and Senate office had been searched and all of his people had, still were or would soon be interrogated. It was here they found out about his future plans.

"We'll run the guy who killed him through the system, find out who he is. Someone must have sent him, one mystery solved only to gain another one." Jordan wasn't happy about that.

"And how did he know he was there?" Kate adds, since even if she did know who had killed Bracken, it was an unanswered question.

"Maybe we'll find out someday." Jordan adds. Then they all hear the oven alarm go off.

"Dinner!" Rick jumps up.

They were just sitting down when the dining room door flies open. It had Jordan up with her weapon out in a heartbeat. "MOMMY!" Alexis dashed across the room to slam into Kate.

Jordan put her weapon away, admonishing herself internally for being so jumpy.

Alexis was followed by Johanna and Jim. "Hi mom!" Kate greeted Johanna while Jim went to Rick.

"How you doing son?" Jim hugged him and slapped his back.

"We're fine, a little bruised here and there, but we're good. … Let me get some more place settings, you're just in time for dinner." Rick disappears into the kitchen.

"Please tell me this nightmare is over." Johanna asks, almost begging.

"Yes mom, it's over. … Oh, mom, dad, this is Agent Jordan Shaw of the FBI. Jordan these are my parents Johanna and Jim Beckett." Kate was pretty sure they hadn't met yet.

"It's a pleasure." Jordan tells them and shakes Jim's hand since he was the closest.

"Your daughter is good, really good. If she'll listen to me she'll be in the FBI and on my team soon." Jordan wasn't ready to give up on these two just yet. "Her and Rick."

"Jordan?" Kate was sure Jordan didn't want her. As soon as her boss figured out Kate's past even Jordan couldn't prevent her from being tossed out on her ear. Though ass might be more truthful.

"I've heard your objections Kate and not one of them holds any water. Not finishing college, wanting to start a family or I should say add to your family." Jordan smiles at Alexis who still had her arms wrapped around Kate. "And not the drugs or anything that happened while you were on them. So spare me.

You come up with a better reason and I'll back off, until then I'm not giving up on either of you." Jordan brings up that Rick didn't give up on her either. "You just think about, till then, let's eat. It'll be good to eat a home cooked meal again."

Jordan bent over and helped lift Alexis up into her seat at the head of the table.

Rick was just getting up to go get dessert when his phone vibrated. "Hi Lynda, what's the news?"

This conversation now had Kate, Johanna and Jim's undivided attention.

"And that means what for us? …. Got it, let me ask Kate." Rick covers the phone. "The owners took $12 grand off the price to compensate for the bad roof. However I'm thinking of having the entire roof replaced with something meant to handle hurricanes. Something screwed down not nailed down." Rick tells her.

"Just don't change the color Castle, I like that color." Was Kate's response, in her mind that house was already hers.

"We'll take it." Rick responds into the phone. "Yeah, …. Yeah, got it. Thanks Lynda." And Rick hangs up. "She's going to get the paperwork together and have it scanned and emailed out to us to print and sign, then send it back. As soon as we do we'll be one step closer to owning a house." Rick was smiling.

Rick kinda wished they already had the home. They could use some time to decompress right about now.

"You're buying a house?" Jordan didn't understand. She loved this boat, she thought they did too.

"It's a summer home out in the Hamptons. Well barely the Hamptons. Wait we've got pictures." Kate got up and went for Rick's laptop.

Jordan was "Ooooing" at the pictures while Rick delivered dessert. "I swear Kate, neither you or Rick need to move. Though my warning about taking you to Dallas, New Orleans or even Kansas City from time to time for a few days will likely happen." Jordan brings it up yet again.

Jim and Johanna were gone and Rick had given Alexis a bath and tucked her into bed kissing the top of her head. "Goodnight Pumpkin, I love you."

"Luv you too dad." Alexis yawned and was asleep before Rick could even close the door.

Rick was back upstairs. "Where did Jordan go?" Rick didn't see her.

"She's in your office talking to her daughter. … She's not going to give up Castle." Kate figures they could start to talk about it since Jordan kept bringing it up.

"She doesn't seem to care about any of your arguments about not taking the job." Rick points out.

"It's just I've worked hard to get to where I am now. I'm not even a senior homicide detective yet." Kate counters.

"I think the FBI takes people straight out of college, meaning they have less experience than you do. And she says we don't have to move." Rick points out.

Kate turns to look at him seriously. "WE?" Kate's heart was flipping in her chest, was he thinking what she thought he was?

"Kate, I told you long ago. I promised and I'm keeping it, so get used to it." Rick was smiling at her.

Kate started breathing heavy, he was thinking what she thought he was. Kate quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

Finally breaking from the kiss. "I love you, you know. So very much." Kate whispers into his lips.

"I love you too." Rick kissed her again.

"Wine?" Rick asks.

"Sure." Might as well wash today down with something.

Rick returned with three glasses and set Jordan's on the coffee table, than sat with Kate on the sofa.

Jordan ultimately returned. "How was your daughter?" Kate asked as she sat down after picking up her glass of wine.

"She's fine, happy to hear I'm coming home tomorrow." Jordan answers.

"And your husband?" Kate offers.

Jordan smiles. "Yeah, him too." Jordan was missing him too. The beds on this boat might be nice along with the sheets, but it was an empty bed.

In a way Jordan envied these two. If they accepted her offer they would come to sites with her together. Have to leave their daughter behind, but at least the bed wouldn't be cold and empty.

Jordan was sitting at their bistro table nursing her cup of coffee while watching Rick cook in his ancient looking kitchen. Still smiling and shaking her head. Kate was late this morning and Rick hadn't said anything.

Jordan's flight out with her team wasn't for another 4 hours, so she had time for breakfast, pack her bags and drive herself to the airport.

Kate came shuffling into the kitchen looking a little tired still. "Hi Jordan, It smells, ..." Kate slapped her hand over her mouth and ran for the bathroom just around the corner.

Rick looked at Jordan with 'What the hell just happened?' all over his face. Then followed Kate into the bathroom and held her hair off to one side as Kate emptied her stomach into the toilet.

Kate flushed the toilet while Rick got her a wet wash cloth and poured out some mouthwash for her to use. "Thanks, … I'm sorry Castle I don't know what made me do that. I like your cooking, honest."

"Maybe it's just a quick bug or something, I'll find you something light to try." Rick offers and goes back into the kitchen.

Rick and Jordan were eating what Rick had fixed when Kate came back in and sat down and started munching on the fruit Rick had out for her.

Just the longer she sat near them and watched them eat the more upset her stomach got. Finally Kate slapped her hand over her mouth and ran for the bathroom again.

Rick followed and held her hair off to one side for her again while she re-emptied her stomach into the toilet. "Thanks Castle." A still green looking Kate tells him taking the wet wash cloth from him.

Kate starts to follow Rick back into the kitchen but as soon as he crosses the threshold. "I can't." Kate shakes her head and heads for the living room instead to sit on the sofa.

"Hi pumpkin, breakfast?" Rick watches her come up the stairs.

Alexis was back to eating sugary kids cereal again. "You stay and keep Jordan company pumpkin." And Rick headed for the living room to find Kate.

"You ready to have a brother or sister?" Jordan asks her.

Alexis nods her head with her mouth full of cereal. "I get to be a big sister." Alexis was smiling.

Jordan got the feeling they had been talking to her about it. Probably a good thing Jordan thought.

Jordan escorted Alexis into the living room to find Kate in Rick's arms trying to sooth his wife. "I'm going to go pack." Jordan tells them and heads downstairs.

A little later Jordan is back upstairs with her suitcase and carry-on bag. "Your boat is amazing you two and so are the pictures of your place in the Hamptons. And I can't begin the thank you for letting me stay here. I've learned a lot."

"It's been our pleasure, honest." Kate tells her.

"You've been terrific too Alexis. Next time I'll bring my little girl and you two, or three can have fun." Jordan messes with Alexis's hair.

Kate however was looking at Jordan funny. 'Three?' Was Jordan pregnant?

"I'll let myself out and drive myself to the airport. Tell your parents bye for me, it was a pleasure meeting them." Jordan pauses.

"Thanks, I will. I'm sure they were glad to meet you." Kate answers her again.

"I'll be back in about 9 months to ask you again, you two just be ready to say yes, because no is not an acceptable answer. You're good Kate and Rick is no slouch either. So get ready to be re-acquainted with the training facilities at Quantico." Jordan points at the two of them.

It got Kate to smile and chuckle, Jordan just didn't give up.

Jordan started walking away pulling her bag behind her. "And I expect baby pictures." Jordan calls over her shoulder smiling the entire way.

"BABY PICTURES?" Rick whispers out.

"SHE expects baby pictures!" Kate was more vocal. "Why would she want baby pictures from us when she's the one that's pregnant?" Then Kate looks at Rick.

Jordan is pulling away when she sees Rick come running out of the boat and run for his car. In her rear view mirror she can see Rick race away going the other direction. It had Jordan grinning all the way to the airport.

Rick raced back onto the boat with a plastic bag flapping in his hands. Rick found Kate standing in the dining room waiting for him. "Here." Rick huffs out since he had been doing some wind sprints lately.

Kate took the bag and went into the closest bathroom and opened the bag. "How many did he get?" Kate talks to herself and dumps 6 boxes into the sink.

Kate ripped open the first box and stripped the wrapping off of it, then dropped her pants and panties and sat on the toilet. Then reached for the next box to rip open, and the next, and the next and the next, ….

Kate stepped out of the bathroom finding Rick standing just outside the door. "AND?" Rick looked at her.

"I don't know, it says we have to wait." Kate turned to look with Rick into the bathroom at six pregnancy test sticks sitting on the countertop.

"I need a drink." Rick can't take it and heads for the kitchen.

"Me too." Kate adds.

Rick stops. "You can't." Rick looks at her with an apology on his face.

"AWE CRAP!" Kate can't have alcohol. "OR COFFEE!" Kate was ready to shoot herself. "Wait I have nanites." Kate brightened up suddenly.

Rick just stared at her. "Yeah, your right." Kate slumped. Possibly being pregnant suddenly sucked.

Alexis suddenly showed up and yanked on Kate's pants. Kate bends down and picks her up. "Hi pumpkin, you ready to think about being a big sister?" Kate wasn't sure but they had been talking to her about it for weeks now if not months.

"NOW?" Alexis sounded excited.

"Not just yet pumpkin but soon, maybe." They would know soon.

Kate was walking the living room with Alexis in her arms, nervous, really nervous.

"Ten minutes Kate." Rick called out.

Kate stopped walking and stared at Rick, then slowly put Alexis down and walked for the bathroom in a trance and stepped inside.

Kate could see the six sticks sitting on the counter top. This is what she wanted, right!?

Two years of hell. Had those 2 years destroyed her future? Had 117 been able to fix her, really fix her?

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I know, I know. It's a cliffhanger. But is it really? Just one chapter left to go.


	62. Chapter 62

**Epilogue**

Kate thought the house was way too big for them. Still Rick loved it. 14,000+ square feet on 2 acres of land. Only 5 bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. "Seriously, 11 bathrooms? Who needs 11 bathrooms?" Kate questioned Rick.

Alexis was grown, moved out after finishing college and even married. Kate and Rick worried that she had married too young, but she had convinced them that she loved him. And he had so far proved that he loved Alexis just as much. They had married only a few weeks after her 21st birthday. That just left their 3 boys, the oldest was just turning 14 (Alexander). The next was 12 (James) and their youngest was 9 (Jacob).

Still they needed a home in the DC area now. Kate had every intention of shuttling between here and their boat in New York along with her family. They went where she went and Kate still loved the boat. It was her home.

The home in the Hamptons was still there and they had used it a lot over the years. Raising 3 boys had proven to be a challenge. Kate had loved it at first and then as each turned 5 years old she began to question why she had children at all.

Then one of them would do something that tugged at her heart strings and she was happy to have 3 boys drive her mad.

Rick had been there through all of it. He was the perfect father, the perfect husband and the perfect partner.

"Fine Castle, but you better be right." Kate points her finger at him.

Then Kate watched her grown up husband turn into a 12 year old yet again. Still it was one of the things that she loved about him amongst the countless others. He always knew how to fill her life with love and laughter. Even if it did drive her nuts sometimes.

It didn't help that their boys followed their father's example.

801 TURKEY RUN RD, Mclean, VA 22101

Inspired by France''s Chateau de Chambord, this14,000+ sq. ft. custom estate nestled on 2+ acres is surrounded by National Forest yet only 2 stop lights from Wash. DC and a 20-minute walk to the Potomac River. Distinctive architecture, classical detailing, and fine finishes define this extraordinary property. Exceptional features include gourmet outdoor kitchen, wine grotto, pool, 5-car garage.

Thankfully it came furnished and Kate liked the furniture and she did like the house itself, it was just, …. BIG!

"We're going to be late Castle." Kate called out. He was downstairs playing with the pool table along with his sons. It was suddenly their new toy that came with the house.

Rick dropped his pool cue on the table. "Come on boys, it's time to attend your mother's ceremony."

Upstairs Kate straightens her sons ties. "We are proud of you mom, we are. Just wish we didn't have to get dressed up in a penguin suit." Alexander hated ties and hated suits completely. What he wanted to be in was a wetsuit.

"I know Alex, and thanks boys. We only have to do this once and in a few hours you can change clothes and be your normal ruggedly handsome selves." To be honest Kate didn't want to be all dressed up either, but it was necessary.

"You look gorgeous mom, you're going to knock them dead." James tells her.

Kate beams at him. "Thanks." And kisses his cheek.

"Is this the right thing mom? It's going to be different." Alex questions again.

"I'm already practically riding a desk, I almost never get out in the field anymore." Actually Kate hadn't been out in the field but a handful of times over the last 5 years. This would only limit that still more, except she had a plan for that. However it also gave her a lot more control.

Problem was that also came with greater responsibility. Kate could only hope she was ready.

Stepping back outside and confirming with the realtor that they would take it, only after a home inspection. They were paying cash so financing wasn't necessary.

Rick had been by Kate's side over the last 15 years as her partner. They had solved many cases together, big and small.

Jordan had made good on her promise nine months later.

**15 years ago:**

"ANYONE HOME?" Jordan yells out.

Rick sticks his head out the window. "Come on in Jordan."

"You two really need to get a doorbell." Jordan jokes, knowing it would never happen. "Hi Alexis I brought someone to meet you, this is my daughter, Sarah."

"Hi, … You want to play? I have lots of room." And off they go racing for the living room.

"Whoa!" Rick jumps out of the way. "May have to get used to that someday." Rick chuckles.

Kate is right behind him with their newest addition. "Hi Jordan, I see you brought someone with you." Kate didn't have to jump out of the way like Rick did. "Where's your husband?"

"We only just returned from a vacation. A rail trip from west to east across Canada. He used up too much of his vacation time to get the time off. So it's just us this time." Jordan explains.

"Rail trip, have to keep that in mind." Rick mentions.

"Is this your new one?" Jordan steps up and looks down at the bundle in Kate's arms.

"Yeah, meet Alexander Lloyd Castle, we've only been home a week. I've still got 3 months of maternity leave. … You knew, didn't you?" Kate looks at Jordan.

"Pretty sure yeah, you smelled Rick's cooking and had your first episode of morning sickness." Jordan smiled.

"Don't remind me, I could barely keep anything down for weeks." Kate moans.

"Yes, but look at the reward." Jordan counters.

Kate's smile lit up the room. "Yeah."

"Come on in and sit down." Rick motions for everyone to enter the living room.

In the living room they can see the two girls playing with Alexis's vast amount of toys. "Does the 12th have a case that involves you?" Kate asks after they sit.

"Not for me no, I came here to see you two actually." Jordan tells them.

"Jordan, ..." Kate starts but Jordan raises her hand.

"I've had a very long talk with your not so friendly Mr. Powell. I have explained his future life if he even so much as mumbles your name in his sleep." Jordan points out. Then her face contorts a little.

"I've also had a very long conversation with one Gina Cowell who is teaching writing in Omaha these days. I've also explained her future life if she so much as mentions either of your names in her sleep." Jordan hoped they didn't get mad over this information.

Rick and Kate however were quiet, trying to process what Jordan was telling them.

"As for one Meredith Lee, she is no longer anyone's problem. I think you know she opened a filming company in a small town in Mexico. What you may not know is that it was also a smuggling operation for drugs into the US." Jordan pauses.

The look on their faces show that they didn't know that part. "I don't know if Meredith found out or not. Or if she knew and chose to overlook it so long as she was on screen.

I don't know how or why but I did find her. Or to be more precise, I found her body." Jordan let that sink in.

Kate sucked in her breath and Rick looked pained. Kate may have hated her for what she did to Alexis or even tried to do, but she didn't want THAT for her.

"According to the records I could find she suffered a massive overdose. It's possible that she finally came to her senses and confronted the people running her film company, and the cartel pumped her full of drugs inducing an overdose.

It was likely that the overdose, whatever the reason, allowed her to die in peace without any pain. The Mexican government raided the film company and shut it down. …. I am sorry." Jordan leaned forward in her chair.

"If it's any consolation the films she made still exist, I can arrange to have them sent to you if you want." Actually Jordan had all of them out in the car already.

Rick looked at Kate. 'Your choice." Was written in his eyes. Meredith may be his ex-wife, but she had never really been his wife, and he loved Kate and knew what Kate thought of Meredith.

He could still see Kate launching her across the room at their wedding.

"We'll take them." Kate tells Jordan. Kate had no idea what she was going to do with them, but she deserved better than what she got. Meredith had given her Alexis after all even if Meredith was no kind of mother, or wife.

"Now for the real reason I'm here. … I want you two on my team. Both of you, especially you Kate." Jordan raises her hand to have Kate hold her objection. "You can finish out your maternity leave, naturally I have no problem with that.

As for you Rick, I know you're a writer and I've read your new book. It has Kate written all over it. … I just have one question. NIKKI HEAT!? … Seriously?"

Kate immediately punched Rick in his arm. "I told you it was a stripper name. … I begged, I threatened, I did everything I could think of to get him to change it. But he had already sent it into the publisher by the time I could read it." Kate points out and starts glaring at Rick.

"I told you she was kind of slutty." Rick pointed out. It got Jordan to start laughing. These two were a real pair. She wanted them and she was going to get them.

"You can write all the books you want Rick, but I've seen you in the field. You two together make a perfect husband and wife team. All you two have to do is say yes. Or give me a reason to say no, one that can actually hold water. One from the heart." Jordan looks at them. Now or never.

Alexander chose this moment to start putting up a fuss. Kate checked his diaper and since it came up dry it was likely time to fed him. "I need to feed him, it is about that time of day." Kate gets up and goes downstairs, grateful for the chance to get away from Jordan. Kate needed time to think this through.

"He's quiet." Jordan points out to Rick after Kate is gone.

"He's always been that way. He didn't even cry after he was born. He just looked up at Kate with her eyes and didn't cry. He's still relatively quiet." Rick explains.

Jordan shakes her head. "Lucky you, Sarah was the exact opposite. She had and still has a healthy set of lungs. She'll make a great singer someday." Jordan chuckles. "How is Alexis with the new baby?"

"She loves him. She tries to help Kate bathe him, helps her change his diaper, even if it is stinky and holds her nose closed. Alexis will stand next to his crib and watch him while he sleeps and the second he moves or opens his eyes, she runs for Kate to inform her." Rick is really impressed by how she has accepted the baby. They still had a baby monitor, just now they had one that didn't require batteries.

There seemed to be no fear of her being replaced by him. She was acting like his big sister.

"I've also got these for you two." Jordan hands over two envelopes. Jordan can see the look on his face. "One is yours and one is Kate's, I suggest you open them together."

Rick turned to look at Alexis who was completely immersed in playing with her new friend. So Rick got up and went downstairs to the nursery where he knew he would find Kate nursing their son.

"Jordan has these for us too." Rick hands Kate the one with her name on it.

"Can you open it for me? My hands are kinda full." Kate was holding their son who was attached to her nipple.

Rick ripped it open and handed her the three pieces of paper that were inside. Then Rick opened his finding a similar number of papers.

Rick still read faster than Kate and was soon done and sat down in the other chair that was in the room. Kate was in the only glider rocker in the room. The only glider rocker on the boat technically.

Rick waited for Kate to finish and saw the look on her face that was likely on his.

"Mine reads like a contract. We don't have to move, only have to leave New York when necessary for certain cases as defined by Jordan. I'm free to write when I choose so long as I don't use any classified material, and there is a line showing what I'm paid by joining the FBI as your partner." Rick informs Kate without going into great detail.

"Same here, except for the writing books part. It spells out the amount of time I'll get for maternity leave with Alexander. I don't have to move and only leave New York when required for certain cases as defined by Jordan and how much I'm paid to be on her team as your partner.

She wants both of us Castle." Kate points out. "It's even signed by her. Sealed and everything." Kate looked at her husband. They needed to talk, and give Jordan an answer.

**It is now present day, just after the DC house:**

"Is Alexis going to be there?" Jacob asks again, already knowing the answer. It's just that they don't see her as much anymore after getting married and moving out.

"Yes Alexis and her husband will be there. Do you three not like Noah?" Her boys had been rather quiet about their sister getting married.

"No, he's nice mom." Alexander speaks up. "We've watched him with sis and she's happy."

"BOYS!?" Kate glared at them.

"We may have spied on him a little." James rats out his brothers and cringes waiting for his mom's response.

Kate however just smiled. That was code for they had spied on Alexis's husband Noah a lot more than a little. Kate could only hope they hadn't taped them having sex.

All three of them were protective of their sister. Alexis had helped Kate raise all three of them. Alexis had been and still was her number one baby sitter. Not that her three boys were babies anymore. Which got her remembering when they were just babies.

"You ok mom?" Jacob asks, noticing the look on her face. He always was good at reading her.

Kate blinked back tears. "I'm fine, just remembering when you 3 were babies is all." Getting Rick to lean over and kiss Kate's cheek.

It got Kate to smile and stroke his face, then kiss him back. He was perfect for her and she loved him today just as much as she did years ago. Her life was still wrapped up around his heart. Rick still had the power to make her heart soar or destroy her, and knew it worked both ways.

The boys had grown up used to seeing their parents kiss and hold each other, and had heard countless times tell each other how much they loved the other.

Home was always a happy place. The boys had worked out that their father was an easy mark, until they crossed some invisible line. Their mother however was the one that laid down the law at home. Probably had something to do with her job they all guessed. Still she was fair about what she did.

All 3 knew they were somewhat privileged. They know other families were not anywhere near as rich as they were. However both of their parents had taught them to give, not take. And they also knew from their father how to treat women fairly and with sincerity.

Kate knew there were going to be three very lucky women out there someday thanks to the teachings of their father. Plus they had the perfect result of what loving each other got you in their own house, day after day.

Lying in their home got you in trouble the fastest, it was one of the lines they knew their father would enforce quickly and soundly. He may be an easy target on most things, but you got hell if you lied. You told the truth no matter how much it hurt, period.

"Your grandparents will be there too." Kate reminds them.

Even Martha was going to be there. Ever since her divorce from her last husband Martha had moved in with them on the boat. She also came out to the house in the Hamptons with them. And was likely going to be with them in the home in DC too.

Her now ex-husband had bled her dry of money. Martha had sucked it up and asked for help and Rick and Kate were only too happy to help her. She even got an allowance like the boys did. It was considerably larger of course. And they helped her to re-establish herself financially.

The boys liked their mother's parents, but they had grown up with Martha and loved her a lot.

All three cars were forced to stop at the gate and provide ID's to get in. Including the Castle's that were in the stretch limo between the two escort cars all the way from the home they had just selected moments earlier. Each of the two escort cars had one of the uniforms from years ago that had guarded Simmons door and kept Agent Sorenson out. Kate had managed to get them both into the FBI and inside Jordan's team when an opening was available.

They were good and Kate was glad to have them. Now they were on her little team.

As they exited the limo, Kate straightened her sons suits only to turn and do the same for Rick. "Thanks." Rick smiles and gives Kate a quick kiss. What Kate wanted to do was wrap her arms around him and kiss him soundly, but they were expected inside.

Rick had never given up on her and here she was. Kate would thank him personally tonight. For now Kate just smoothed out his shoulders and tapped them lightly and gave him a quick kiss.

Stepping inside they find the rest of their family waiting for them.

Kate was instantly enveloped by Alexis. "I'm so proud of you mom. This is the perfect job for you." Alexis didn't let go of her mother.

Kate hugged her back. "I hope so pumpkin, I sincerely hope so." Kate hoped she was ready for this. Kate was forced to blink back tears or ruin her make-up. Kate had 3 sons, but Alexis was still her first, even if not biologically.

They still hadn't told Alexis about her birth mother. Rick and Kate debated if they even should. For now they kept putting it off. Alexis had been young enough to not remember the difference. Plus Meredith was gone, so it wasn't like she could meet her anyway.

"Hi mom, dad." Kate reached out a hand to them still wrapped up in her daughters' arms.

"This is a great day Katie, we're proud of you too. You'll do great things in this job." Jim and Johanna each take a hand.

Alexis finally releases her mother and backs off to take a hold of her husband. "Everything will be perfect Katherine dear. We all believe in you." Martha tells her giving Kate a motherly hug.

Lanie couldn't make it and the guys from the 12th that Kate and Rick had kept up with over the years had caught a case and were forced to cancel.

"She is the perfect and only choice." A new voice calls out.

"Hi Jordan." Kate hugs her and gives her old boss two fake kisses. "I'm glad you could make it. Where are your husband and the kids?" Kate didn't see them. Jordan and her husband had, had another girl.

The Shaw family was involved with theirs a lot. Kate was pretty sure that her middle boy, James had a crush on her. Jordan had noticed it to. Neither of them did anything to prevent it or bring them closer. They needed to learn about each other, or it would never work out.

"They're already inside waiting for you. Ready for this?" Jordan asks her.

"I hope you know what you are doing Jordan." Kate knew she was going to get this job ONLY because of Jordan. What she had done for her years ago and what she had done only recently.

"You'll do great Kate. You are perfect for this job. I should know, I trained you for it." Jordan smiles at her. "Come on, it's time to introduce the world to one Katherine Houghton Castle, and for some, to learn to fear that name." Jordan was still smiling.

"And her partner." Rick adds, getting Jordan to laugh. "Yes, and her partner." Then Jordan held out a book for Rick to take. "Sign it for me?" Jordan asks looking just slightly embarrassed.

Rick's latest book. It had only just recently hit the shelves. FEDERAL HEAT.

Stepping inside. "Mr. President." Kate greets him and takes his hand.

"Mrs. Castle, it's a pleasure meeting you again. You too Rick." He shakes Rick's hand too. "I see you brought everyone with you." He looked around at everyone in the room with them.

"Yes Mr. President. I wouldn't be here without them." Kate loved her family. There may be bigger families, but she was sure there was no other family that was filled with this much love.

Kate noticed that James and Jordan's daughter had already migrated together and were standing next to each other. It got Kate to smile.

"Then let's get started Director Castle." The President offers Kate to go first.

"Not just yet Mr. President." Kate counters.

"Confirmation by Congress is just a formality, there are only a handful that will put up any question at all. You will be Director of the FBI before the week is out, believe me. Your 15 years of service has not gone un-noticed." The President is convinced.

"Yes sir, thank you sir." Kate is still flattered to be selected.

Just moments later the President of the United States introduces his nomination for Director of the FBI.

Katherine Houghton Castle.

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And that is the end for now. I may come back later and fill in the gaps in those 15 years. Maybe even a quick trip where 117 and Kate are officially added to the roster that 117 was created for. Maybe Kate gets her own little ship to play with, who knows!?

A sequel to "I don't believe in no Ghosts" is next. It will have a new name so keep an eye open for it. No, it will not have any character death in it. Quite the opposite actually. I'm on chapter 13 already so it will be up soon. With daily updates as usual.

Happy reading! Mine or someone else's.


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